Rs 400 Crore Scam Meant for Gujjars, land at Sunjwan turned into VIP colony, Guv apprised

JAMMU: With the state already plagued with the problem of land encroachments, another major scam—worth Rs 400 Crore has come to fore where the land meant for the Doodhi Gujjars at Sunjwan was turned into the VIP colonies with the lavish bungalows and mansions of politicians, senior police officers and bureaucrats coming up.

The large chunk of JDA land valuing 400 Crores of rupees at Sunjwan was allotted to the Doodhi Gujjars long back with the motive to cope up with the growing demands of milk in Jammu district.

The same was however, sold to the property dealers who made colonies illegally, and sold the plots to the influential persons.

The JDA got up from the slumber after its Vice Chairman Rajesh Kumar Shavan found the irregularities in the subject matter, causing a loss running in hundreds of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.

Official sources informed this scribe that there are many other departments which are glove in hand in converting the JDA land into private colony.

“This can be gauged from the fact that the ‘farad intikhyab’ of the state land was issued by the revenue department without taking the JDA into confidence.

“Further, the PHE department issued connections for water supply, PDD department issued connection for electricity and Road and Building (R&B) Department made roads on the illegal colony without taking any No Objection Certificate (NOC) from JDA, thus affecting the state exchequer by Rs 400 crore,” they informed.

They further informed that JDA has apprised the matter to the Governor N N Vohra with the request to give directions to the concerned government departments to pay the loss incurred to the JDA and make good the losses by regularising the colony.

JDA VC Rajesh Kumar Shavan confirmed the same to The News Now.

“Yes, the Governor has been apprised about the multi crore land scam at Sunjwan,” Shavan said, adding that Raj Bhavan has requested to deal the matter strictly.

Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma when contacted over the issue said that cognizance will be taken against the encroachment of JDA land at Sunajwan once his office received the same from Governor.

“Let the documents be received by my office,” he said when contacted by The News Now.