Revenue official declares district collector in Rajasthan as ‘land encroacher’, probe ordered
Nand Lal, the revenue official at Bandhda village in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, has submitted a report to the tehsildar, which shows that collector Shivprasad Nakate had encroached on a 20-bigha (around 8 acre) government land.
A patwari has declared the Barmer district collector as a land encroacher in government records, though the gram panchayat-level revenue official claimed innocence, saying the entry could have been done by mistake.
Nand Lal, the patwari at Bandhda village under Gadara Road tehsil, has submitted a report to the tehsildar, which shows that Shivprasad Nakate, son of Madanlal Nakate, had encroached on 20 bigha (around 8 acre) government land. Shivprasad Madan Nakate is the Barmer collector.
Stating that Nakate is doing farming on the encroached land, the report has urged the tehsildar for taking legal action. A probe has been ordered into the matter.
“I am innocent and have no connection in the case,” Nand Lal claimed, but admitted that the document carried his signature. “It is a conspiracy against me. I had given records to a person to make entries. The person had either done it by mistake or intentionally.”
The patwari said he came to know about the matter after getting a call from a senior official on Tuesday night. “Following directions, I am going to appear before the investigating officer.”
Gadara Road tehsildar Dalaram Panwar, who is investigating the matter, said he had directed the patwari to appear before him with records. “Though the patwari has addressed the notice to my office, we have not yet received the original copy. We have got a photo copy from the higher officials to probe the matter.”
Panwar said the patwari, it seems, has prepared a report under section 91 of the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956. Under this section, the revenue department issues notices to the encroachers of government land for eviction. “On basis of the Patwari report, my office issues such notices. It is a serious negligence; appropriate action will be taken against the patwari,” Panwar said.
Barmer collector Nakate said he had ordered a probe after the matter came to his knowledge. “Appropriate action will be taken on the basis of the probe report,” he said.
