The Revenue and Land Reforms and Registration department has reminded DCs and Settlement Officers of all 24 districts to identify Government land and display a notice board to alert people that the said land is owned by the government and non-salable category.
In October this year Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh had held a review meeting with senior officials of the department to formulate a standard operation procedure (SOP) to ensure protection of government lands.
However, SOP for protection of government land has long been felt in the wake of the rising number of land related cases.
Often land mafia duped people by way of forged documents and often private land acquired by the Government is being sold out.
But the department woke-up for SOP after being prodded by Jharkhand High Court while hearing a land dispute case. The high court in its order passed in February had sought to know whether the department has standard procedure to protect government land. But before the department could draw some plans the government became busy in tackling Covid-19.
“Government land is broadly defined as gairmajarua, khasmahal, land on lease, land acquired by government, protected and notified forest land. Details of such lands will have to be uploaded on National Generic Document Registration System. DC and land settlement officer of concerned districts will have to ensure that such lands are kept under restricted category. I believe the next meeting is going to be held anytime this month. All districts have been asked to submit progress reports,” said an official of the department.
The display board will contain information about the nature of the land, total area, boundary and revenue circle it falls into. The department has decided to take strong action against mafias and all such people who have been committing crime by selling government land.
All districts have been asked to submit details of criminal cases related to fraudulent sale and purchase of government. Jharkhand Police will be asked to investigate such cases on priority basis.