Massive land scam in city!

Records swindle: Alarmed Commissioner orders probe

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Feb 23: In what can be termed as the tip of an iceberg of a massive land scam in Guwahati, the State Chief Information Commissioner H.S Das has ordered Deputy Commissioner (Kamrup Metropolitan) to conduct an inquiry into the frequent missing mutation case records, manipulation of land records as well possible involvement of land mafia in such cases in collusion with land revenue staff.

Official sources told The Sentinel that the Assam State Information Commission has observed a few irregularities regarding land revenue records. Several appeal cases have been received seeking land mutation records in different Circle Offices of Kamrup (Metropolitan) District. The most common grievance of such appellants was that without their knowledge, lands belonging to them were mutated in the me of some other persons. Unfortutely, when copies of such mutation orders were sought for by the affected persons under the RTI Act, 2005, they were told that the relevant case records were missing.

The State Information Commission has also found anomalous land records where there are two sets of land records against the same plot of land in a second appeal case. The Chitha and Jamabandi maintained in the Circle Office showed the me of one title holder whereas the central records maintained in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) District, the me of another owner was shown. As such, the State Chief Information Commissioner seeking an inquiry has directed the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) District to ascertain which set of records is correct; whether the land records of the DC Office is correct or those maintained in the Revenue Circle Office. The Deputy Commissioner has further been directed to take necessary steps for correction of the land records and to fix responsibility.

In course of hearing of the second appeal case, the State Chief Information Commissioner has observed that after scanning and digitization of registered land sale deeds by a private Company in pursuance of an agreement signed between the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) District and a private company, as part of the e- panjeeyn project, a substantial number of registered sale deeds were found not to have been digitized nor were the hard copies of the registered sale deeds returned by the private company to the office of the Senior Sub- Registrar, Kamrup (Metro) District.

Taking a serious note of the possibility of misuse of such lost registered sale deeds by some unscrupulous elements to the detriment of unsuspecting land owners, the State Chief Information Commissioner has directed the Senior Sub- Registrar to ascertain the actual number of such missing registered land sale deeds while initiating further necessary action.

The Deputy Commissioner has already filed police cases against several cases of missing mutation case records.