Rampant encroachment on government lands through dubious land pattas in Dimapur was again highlighted, when some persons tried to forcibly evict a government employee under the Geology & Mining (G&M) department at the department’s colony Monday. The concrete all of the department was broken and a kitchen garden was destroyed though no untoward incident took place.
The situation became tense after two groups from both parties, gathered to confront each other but the arrival of police from West P.S. prevented the situation from escalating into an ugly incident.
As per documents shown to this Reporter by officials of the G&M department, the plot was part of the land allotted to the department in the late 1960s and later occupied in the early 70s.Further the officials maintained that no other party occupied the land prior to or after the department took physical possession.
The documents show that patta/jamabandi for the land was issued by Surveyor I/c of Revenue Record Branch as directed by an order issued by then DCDimapur Maong Aier with reference to the spot verification report along-with trace map and chitha copy.
The report indicated the actual area of land physically occupied by the department was as provided by the Directorate G&M Department through letter No. LRSO/D/Tech-3/2007-08/114 dated 8th Dec 2009.
Earlier on January 30, 2015, the previous DC Dimapur, Wezope Kenye, in a notification, clearly mentioned that the land claimed by the private party fell within the brick-wall fencing of the land belonging to the G &M department, based on the spot verification report provided by the Land Records and Survey Officer.
The report indicated that the private party had illegally occupied public land and for which, the private party was served with a show cause notice under sub-section (1) of section 6 of the Nagaland Eviction of persons in unauthorised public land Act 1971. A land patta issued to an individual for a plot within the G&M department land was also cancelled after it was found to have been issued without the knowledge or consent of the department.
It was also pointed out that the Government Notification of 1992 banned allotment of government land to private/individual in the entire state without obtaining prior clearance and approval of state government.
However, even after the ban on allotment of government land was notified, it has not been strictly followed. It was alleged that some staff under the land records were hand-in-glove in this racket.This has been the main factor where many government lands in Dimapur today have turned into private colonies. Even in the recent years several government quarters have been allotted to some organisations. It was learnt, that the G&M and Forest departments are the only two government departments that look after and safeguard government lands.
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