Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A threee-member vigilance team,led by a deputy superintendent of police,reached Araria to probe alleged involvement of government officials and middlemen in purchasing land from farmers at cheap rates and selling it to government on land price ceiling (Rs 20,000 per three decimal land).
CM Nitish Kumar had ordered a probe by principal secretary,revenue and land reforms,after The Indian Express carried a series of reports on Mahadalit land racket,showing how Raniganj circle officer Ramvilas Jha now suspended had engaged two middlemen to buy land plots at cheap rates to buy it for government to distribute among Mahadalits.
The Indian Express exposed how a land plot at Kajra bought from a farmer at Rs 3.83 lakh was sold to government for Rs 17.60 lakh and another plot was bought only after 11 days at Rs 4.90 lakh and sold it to government for Rs 23.60 lakh after 39 days.
The Vigilance team that reached Raniganj on Wednesday had started collecting evidence from circle officer office and also summoned the two middlemen Anil Panjiyar and Mohammed Kurshid in question. The team would also visit sites where Mahadalits had been distributed three decimal each under Mahadalit Vikas Yojana.
