Chandigarh/GURGAON: Land worth hundreds of crores of rupees has been handed back to Haryana government by land mafia in Gurgaon following intervention of the district administration, a senior officer said on Saturday. "The Gurgaon district administration has restored 165 acres to Nainwal gram panchayat. This land was converted into 'Shamlat Deh' fraudulently by former 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 1,900 acres in Sohna municipal committee area in Gurgaon district was restored to government after he got it out of the control of builders and land mafia. The administration has also got the title of the land transferred in the name of Nainwal panchayat. "This is prime land worth hundreds of crores of rupees situated in proximity to Manesar where an industrial model township is 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 revenue officials in December 2004 in connivance with private builders. "It was then illegally distributed among private shareholders without any orders from 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 165 acres of panchayat land, 42 acres were with Gamma Buildwell Private Limited, another 42 were with Zenith Real Private Limited, and 81 were in the name of numerous private persons," he added. The spokesman said that the village council now proposed to lease out 80 acre for agricultural purposes to generate revenue for itself. IANS |
