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Journalism of Courage
RANCHI, JAN 7: The Bihar government8217;s response to a land scam in which government/ tribal land was illegally transferred to co-operative societies and individuals in Ranchi indicates that it is shielding its officers who were allegedly responsible for perpetrating the scam.
According to official sources here, Chief Minister Rabri Devi has ordered state Chief Secretary S N Biswas to get the scam probed afresh by the state vigilance department.
Documents in possession of The Indian Express show that the owners of two Ranchi-based housing co-operative societies Jai Bhawani Sahkari Griha Nirman Samiti and Vikrant Grih Sahkari Samiti about 12 circle officers, ninesub-divisional officers and 12 additional collectors of the Bihar Administrative Services, including JN Tripathi, Rajeshwar Prasad, M P Ajmera, U K Sharan, M P Singh, Mishri Lal and C M Choudhary, had colluded with the land mafia in the sale of nearly 200 acres of government/tribal land in Ranchi and its outskirts between 1978 and 1990.
Estimated to have a market price of Rs 300 to Rs 500 crore, the land8217;s transfer or sale to anybody for outright business purposes by any government officials was prohibited by the Bihar Land Reforms Act 1956 and the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act 1907. These Acts were allegedly flouted with impunity by these officials.
The modus operandi of the mafia was based on the principle of graft. It allegedly bribed the officials, who then transferred the ownership rights to the mafia or to individuals listed by it. In turn, these people reportedly either sold off the land to a third party or constructed flats and commercial complexes on it.
In 1996, then state Revenue ministerInder Singh Namdhari detected the scam and subsequently a joint panel of the state Legislative Council and the Assembly was set up to probe the scam. The panel submitted its report to Speaker Deo Narayan Yadav in 1998.
Now, while the vigilance sleuths are about to begin probing into the scam, Yadav is reported to have told the press in Patna on Thursday that the joint panel8217;s report will be placed in the House in its winter session beginning January 10.
