Kashmiri Pandit migrants, mostly the younger generation, are misusing the online grievance portal launched by the J&K administration by filing fake complaints to lay claim on the land ‘willfully sold’, officials have said.
Officials said that the online grievance portal launched by the J&K administration is flooded with ‘fake complaints’ by Kashmiri Pandits, “hampering the smooth functioning of the revenue department”.
“We have not come across any genuine complaint where an individual has illegally occupied a Kashmiri Pandit land or any other property in Kashmir. In a majority of the complaints, we found the land or house has been sold wilfully, with complete legal documentation,” a revenue department official told Kashmir Post.
A revenue official from Anantnag district told news agency Kashmir Post that these fake complaints have overburdened the revenue and administrative officials on the ground.
“Officials get busy in assessing and verifying the credentials of these complaints which later turn out to be fake,” he said.
“Assessing these fake complaints consumes our time and workforce. When we send the staff to assess the complaints, they are found fake as the owners have sold property and land to people hereafter complying will all legal and revenue formalities,” the official added.
Such land and property can legally and through rightful means be purchased under the Migrant Property Act.
“But some unscrupulous persons are filing fake complaints on the portal which has overburdened our staff. Only genuine complaints must be filed so that we utilize our time and staff in a judicious way,” officials said.
A public deputation from Aishmuqam Anantnag told Kashmir Post that they bought a piece of land from a Kashmir Pandit in 1999 but after 22 years a fake complaint has been filed by some Kashmir Pandit, calling the sale of land illegal.
“The documents of attorney, agreement to sell, and sale deed were duly attested by a first-class Magistrate in presence of the owner of the land in Jammu in 1999. All codal formalities laid down by the Government in Migrant Act 1999 were completed in the court,” said a member of the deputation.
He said the land alienation permission from Divisional Commissioner Kashmir for Mutation was also granted.
The landowner came to know through concerned Patwari that a complaint have been filed by the grandson of the seller alleging that the documents are fake. After ascertaining the documents of land, the revenue officials found them correct, resulting in the dismissal of the complaint.
Officials said that similar fake complaints are registered on the portal wastes the time of the officials.
Pertinent to mention, LG Manoj Sinha has launched an online grievance portal for migrants to register their genuine complaints about their land and property for their redressal.