Government land worth hundreds of millions of rupees has been restored to the Haryana government from the clutches of the land mafia in Gurgaon following the intervention of the district administration, a senior officer said Saturday.
"The Gurgaon district administration has restored 165 acres of panchayat land back to Nainwal Gram Panchayat (village council). This land was converted into 'Shamlat Deh’ fraudulently by the then revenue officials to benefit private shareholders and land grabbers," said Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner P.C. Meena, who inquired into the land deals.
Meena had recently also ensured that nearly 1,900 acres of prime land in Sohna Municipal Committee area in Gurgaon district was restored to the government by getting it out of the control of builders and land mafia.
The administration has now not only ensured that the Nainwal village council got the possession of the land but also that the title of the land was transferred in its name.
"This piece of land is a prime land worth hundreds of crores of rupees situated in proximity to Manesar where an Industrial Model Township was flourishing," a Haryana government spokesman said in Chandigarh.
Land rates in the Gurgaon-Manesar belt, for industrial, commercial and residential property, are quite high given the proximity of the belt to the national capital and the development of the area, especially investment by leading MNCs and companies in the country.
Meena said the status of the village council land was changed by unscrupulous revenue officials December 2004 in connivance with private builders.
"It was then illegally distributed among private shareholders without order from any competent court. The then sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Gurgaon allegedly involved in the case already stands dismissed by the state government," the spokesman said.
"Out of total 165 acres of panchayat land, 42 acres was with M/s Gamma Buildwell Private Limited, another 42 acres was with M/s Zenith Real Private Limited, and rest 81 acres of land was in the name of numerous private persons,” he added.
The spokesman said that the village council now proposes to give 80 acres of land on lease for agricultural purposes to generate revenue for itself.