HAFIZABAD - Hundreds of land owners of village Dohatta Azmat have appealed to Punjab Chief Minister to order giving back the village’s land into the control of Revenue Department, which has fraudulently been given under the control of Consolidation Department 33 years back.
Talking to the mediamen here the other day, more than 2,700 landowners of the village said that in 1983, the then Consolidation Officer and Patwari through alleged fake thumb impressions handed down their village in the control of the Consolidation Department without their consents. They said that they have written a number of applications to the authorities concerned, stating that handing over of their land to the Consolidation Department is tantamount of their financial murder. They said that land record of the village is not being computerised due to this hurdle which is creating problems for the owner in sale and purchase of land. They said that the Consolidation Department Additional Commissioner, Additional Secretary and Collector have visited the village a number of times during the last three decades and made a report in their favour, but the village has not yet been handed over in the control of the Revenue Department.
Through a letter No 375-2013/417CH (G) IV issued to the Consolidation Department Secretary on November 4, 2013, the chief minister directed to stop consolidation operation in the village although consolidation work had not been started,” the landholders added. “After issuance of the letter, a wave of happiness spread among the landholders but it turned to be a mockery as not even a single paper work could be completed during the previous years in this regard,” they regretted, adding despite clear directives by the chief minister, the village has not been given in the control of the Revenue Department.
About two years ago, the then Hafizabad DCO conducted an inquiry and sent a report to the commissioner vide letter No. DRA/331 dated April 8, 2014. According to the letter, majority of landowners of the village did not want consolidation of their land. During the last 33 years, majority of the landowners opposed the consolidation proceedings and no major paper work had been done in this regard. Besides, consolidation time limit is four years, which had expired 29 years ago. Therefore, the village should be returned to the Revenue Department. On the DCO report, the commissioner gave recommendation under a letter No RB/COMMR/6372 dated July 9, 2014 to return Dohatta Azmat to the Revenue Department, but the order has yet to be implemented.
The villager demanded the Punjab chief minister to take notice of their plight caused by the inefficiency and apathy of the government departments and provide them justice at the earliest.