Notices are being given to encroachers in Morena-Sabalgarh for 45 years, allegations of extortion in the name of action

Since 1980, 12 to 15 notices have been issued, but no action has been taken

Highlights

Houses and shops built on the land of Krishi Mandi in Sabalgarh are said to be encroaching; notices have been issued 12 to 15 times since 1980

Naiduniya representative, Morena-Sabalgarh. There is 38 bigha land of Krishi Upaj Mandi in Sabalgarh town of Morena district. This valuable land has come in the middle of Sabalgarh, where the main market of the town has also developed. Notices are being issued for removing encroachment from this government land not for two-four years but for more than 45 years.

Some officials even got bulldozers parked in front of the houses, but no one could remove even one foot of encroachment from the 38 bigha land. The local administration has again issued notices a few days ago. Regarding this, people openly say that these notices are not meant to remove encroachment, but have become a means of extorting huge amounts from the encroachers.

In survey number 27 of Patwari Halka Shivlalpura of Sabalgarh town, Krishi Upaj Mandi has 38 bigha 3 biswa land. 70 to 80 years ago, Krishi Mandi had allotted plots of 600-600 square feet to some grain merchants to build shops and houses, in front of these plots was the vacant land of Krishi Mandi, where farmers used to park tractor-trolleys and bullock carts filled with grain. With time, this land got encroached.

According to the local administration, encroachment by 374 people has been identified on the land of Krishi Mandi, where luxurious houses, shops and other commercial buildings have come up. Some people have even sold the Mandi land and registered it, in one such case a case has been registered in Sabalgarh police station. The game of notices in the name of encroachment on Mandi land first started in the year 1980, when the then Sabalgarh SDM and Mandi administration together issued notices to remove the encroachment.

The notice warned of demolition of houses and shops, but the encroachment was not removed from even a foot of land. Many traders openly say that at that time 80 to 90 lakh rupees were collected in the name of encroachment. Such a tampering is going on in the name of rules and laws that in the past 45 years notices have been issued 12 to 15 times in the name of removing encroachment. It has happened many times that when a new SDM is posted or a secretary with a domineering attitude comes to the Mandi, then big names from these 374 people are identified and notices are issued and warning is given of using JCB.

The present SDM VK Katare has also issued these notices a few days ago. SDM Katare has given these notices to a few selected big traders instead of all the encroachers, due to which there are open allegations of extortion in the name of notices. On the other hand, after receiving the notices, there is panic among the encroachers. On Monday, a delegation met the collector and on Tuesday a delegation of traders reached Bhopal, where they met the minister and the officers of the Mandi Board and demanded that the encroached land be leased out.

Red marks were put to demolish the house and the same government land was named

In March 2013, the then SDM Ajay Katesaria marked encroachment outside 374 houses from Santra number one to five in Sabalgarh. On the instructions of the High Court, citing the removal of encroachment, red marks were put on 375 shops and platforms to demolish them. But not even a single platform was removed in the name of encroachment, later a fine of crores of rupees was imposed on the encroachers, which was waived by the ADM. The miracle happened when the same SDM issued an order on July 16, 2016 and diverted 320 square feet of land of Krishi Mandi outside the house of Jagdish son Ratanlal Garg. Similarly, the Nagar Palika has also transferred many lands of the Mandi, if these are investigated, many cases will come to light.

Even the Mandi Board has marked encroachment

The Krishi Mandi in Sabalgarh has land worth billions of rupees. To investigate this land, Manoj Shrivastav, the then Chief Accounts Officer of Mandi Board Bhopal, came to Sabalgarh on 21 February 2006. Manoj Shrivastav gave a report to the then Principal Secretary of Mandi Board MA Khan and told that there is encroachment on 47177 square feet of land of Krishi Mandi in Sabalgarh. Principal Secretary MA Khan sent the entire investigation report to the then Collector of Morena, Akash Tripathi, to remove this encroachment and gave instructions for action. The Collector issued orders to Sabalgarh SDM. Even 18 years ago, no one’s encroachment was removed, rather after that, encroachment was done on other vacant places of the Mandi as well.

I cannot say anything about why notices are given repeatedly. We, some traders, first met the collector and then the minister in Bhopal. We have demanded that the way former MLA Sowaran Mawai got the market land leased to traders in Morena, the land in front of houses in Sabalgarh should also be leased on the same lines, we are ready to deposit the amount determined by the government. – Umesh Mangal, businessman, Sabalgarh

Notices have been issued several times since 1980, traders are being duped every time in the name of removing encroachment and taking action, and money is extorted from them. The present SDM sahab has also issued notices to remove encroachment to only a few selected people, while the encroachment is on the entire land. The purpose behind this is also to extort money by threatening action. – Kamlesh Sharma, resident, Sabalgarh

Direct talk – VK Katare, SDM Sabalgarh

Naiduniya – Notices are being issued for 45 years in the name of removing encroachment from the land of Krishi Mandi, why is no action taken?

SDM Katare – All officers have different ways of working, I cannot tell what happened first. I have issued notices and action will be taken when the deadline is over.

Naiduniya – 374 people have encroached, you have given notices to only a select few, why is that?

SDM Katare – I have issued notices to 30 people for encroachment, one of them has sold the market land, a case of 420 is also registered against him, notices have been issued to such big violators.

Naiduniya – Allegations are being made that these notices are given for recovery, not for action?

SDM Katare – Allegations are levelled when action is taken, these people are wrong only then notices are issued, if they were not wrong then how would they have issued notices. I have heard that some traders have gone to Bhopal, from there an order will be issued to take the market land on lease, then action will be taken accordingly, then allegations will be made that these notices were issued for recovery.