lokayukt Retd Justice NK Mehrotra, probing large scale loss to state exchequer through stamp duty on registration of lands in Mathura, has smelled similar syndicate operative in many other big cities and claimed to now extend his enquiry to Gautambudhnagar, lucknow, Kanpur etc.
``If such syndicate comprising of builders, revenue department and registry office could freely operate in district like Mathura, than one could easily sense that how the big land sharks and multinational real estate companies are using the land use change as a lethal weapon to dupe the government by saving revenue stamp charges on registry of lands”, disclosed Mehrorta here on Monday afternoon. ``I would now summon the record of last few years from Noida, lucknow, Kanpur etc to confirm how many case of land change use from `Abadi’ (living Area) to `Krishi’ (agriculture land), to save stamp duty charges”, he revealed adding that in living areas the registry have been made on prevalent circle rate but in agriculture land registration, the same would be made at per bigha which is very low.
Sources said that in the Mathura case, Mehrotra, who summoned the record of last three years had received files related to about three dozen cases of land uses but he suspect that the real picture has yet not emerged. ``Mehrotra had now sent a letter to AIG Registration in Mathura, directing him to confirm whether just the cases sent by district magistrate regarding land use changes exist on papers of more such incidents happened in last three years but the truth has been concealed”, added the source.
Sources said that the DM had suspended one lekhpal after finding that he submitted documents regarding use of a particular land for agriculture purposes after which the land use change has been made.However, NK Mehrotra was surprised to see that while Thesildar was punished, ADM (Executive) in Mathura, who earlier also work as SDM in the same district, was spared even when he also submitted a similar report supporting the thesildar. There are several other irregularities which have been detected during probe by lokayukt and he is likely to initiate action against some senior officers of the district very soon.
It may be mentioned that Mehrotra, who unearthed some of such operations related just to one thesil of Mathura, had reportedly asked the state government to make a review of land use changes in the entire state and penalised the authorities besides initiating action against the officials. He already get a case registered in the Mathura incident against one of senior officer of Provincial Civil Services (PCS) posted as SDM. He claimed that action will be also taken other officials who connived with the builders and land sharks.
Interestingly, the local district magistrate in-order to hush up the matter had ordered transfer of SDM and suspended the local lekhpal. However, he failed in his efforts after lokayukt personally went to Mathura to examine the truth two months back. After return from Mathura, Mehrorta confirmed of action against SDM Mathura, Ramesh Chandra, and suspension of lekhpal, Sapan Bhardwaj.
Mehrorta, who had sought details of all the land use change files of Mathura during the last five years, claimed that during cross-examining of some officers of Mathura, in the above mentioned matter, he was shocked when they disclosed that the irregularities made by the SDM, Ramesh Chandra and lekhpal, Sapan Bhardwaj, is nothing wrong and it was a common practice adopted by almost of the SDMs of the district and not only that, they made frequent changes to facilitate the builders of getting land registered in his name at very less stamp duty.
Mehrotra said that he was also surprised to learn that files related to the top five land change use cases every month also went to district magistrate and subsequent 10 top cases to ADM (revenue), for scrutiny but they had never stopped the wrong practices allegedly as they also had their share in the business. Mehrotra, who already suspected huge revenue loss to state exchequer through above practice, claiming that he decided to go into depth of all the above disclosures made during interrogation by him so he summoned the record of last fives years to cross-examine the facts and report the matter to the government for necessary departmental proceedings in the matter as well as to cancel such registration of land and recover the losses to state exchequer.
Earlier Mehrotra got a application in which it was alleged that one builder, Surya Constructions had purchased five huge plots at Chathi Kara hamlet of Tehra Mauja in Mathura and get the land used change from agriculture land to construct multi-storyed complexes in 2008. The company utilised two of the plots and sold remaining three to another builder `Delux Constructions’ at present rates but before registry of the plot, they again get the land used changed to agriculture to save stamp duty, thus resulting into loss of over one crore to state exchequer. Mehrotra, during probe also found that the land use change has been made by SDM, Ramesh Chandra, who had no power to do so.
It was revealed that Ramesh Chandra, took a review application from the builder for land use change and later illegally get a report from lekhpal, Sapan, who showed that the said land has been used for agriculture purpose and that he found yellow mustard crop there. Interestingly, the local Tehsildar made a review of such lands every year and made entry into their records about the purpose of such lands so Mehrotra also checked the records, and was shocked to see that in (Tehsildar) record, the land was not shown used for agriculture purposes. Not only this, even when a report in this record should be submitted by a tehsildar, the SDM got it with lekhpal and also made land use change showing it as agriculture land. Following this, Mehrotra get a case registered in the matter and ordered action against the said officials.