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Collusion between BJP leaders and Estates officers costing heavily to state exchequer says Harsh

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 9/26/2020 12:15:30 PM

Jammu, Sept 25 Seeking immediate eviction of all illegal occupants of Estate Bungalows, the activists of NPP led by Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman-JKNPP & former Minister and Yash Paul Kundal, State President- Young Panthers & ex-Minister held a massive protest outside the office of Deputy Director Estates I/c Jammu Division at Gandhi Nagar today. The protestors torched the effigy of BJP government at Main Stop Chowk Gandhi Nagar and later held a huge demonstration outside the Deputy Director Estates office alleging an unholy nexus between the unauthorized occupants and officers of the Department. They raised slogans against the government as well as the Estates Department officers for conferring undue benefits upon BJP’s ex-MLAs, MLCs and even petty BJP workers. As the NPP activists were raising slogans against the Director Estates and Deputy Director Estates on the roadside outside the compound wall of the said office a clerk named Yash Paul started raising slogans of “BJP Zindabad and Panthers Party Murdabad” besides hurling filthy abuses upon the NPP activists. He also started flaunting an iron rod from inside the compound wall. This infuriated the peacefully protesting NPP workers who asked the Deputy Director to take cognizance of the open defiance of service laws and hurling of abuses and threats upon NPP leaders by the delinquent officials without any justification. The protestors called for appropriation action against the erring official for his political posturing and for hurling threats upon Party activists. The main gate of the Estates Office having been locked the protest was held outside the compound wall of Estates officer with even the Deputy Director refusing to come out to take the memorandum of protesting workers of NPP. Speaking on the occasion, Harsh Dev Singh said that as and when the issue of unauthorized occupation of government Bungalows by the blue eyed political leaders and workers was raised, the Estates Department issued notices to the said persons only to hoodwink the public and to silence the media highlighting such a grave irregularity. And after the issuance of such notices, the Estates Department functionaries went into hibernation with no follow up action ever taken thereafter, said Singh. He claimed that the Estates Department had issued five successive notices of eviction to the said occupants with the first such notice having been issued in December 2018. Displaying the copies of eviction notices served upon the unlawful occupants, Mr. Singh said that the first of such notices was issued on 21-02-2018 merely to fulfill a formality with none of the BJP leaders or workers having been actually asked to vacate the said premises. “This was followed by another notice issued in April 2019 which also met the same fate. Third notice of eviction was issued on 07-09-2020 which also proved as a hoax and a window dressing for the gullible public. The fourth notice was issued on 17-12- 2019 which was also proved an eye wash. This fifth notice of eviction was issued on 07.09.2020 with the same terms of one week time which too has met the same fate as earlier notices as no action has been taken by the Estates Department to evict the said illegal encroachers of government property. And while the opposition leaders were hounded out of Estates quarters through Police force, the States Department officers have displayed their double standards in their dealing with BJP leaders. Its surprising to note that not only the ex- Ministers, ex-MLAs and ex- MLCs are allowed to continue the occupation of the government bungalows by Estates Department but the small time BJP workers are also retaining the said bungalows without payment of even a single penny as rent or license fee”, regretted Mr. Singh. Seeking personal indulgence of Lt. Governor and Chief Secretary into the fishy affair involving the most scandalous conduct of illegal occupants in collusion with corrupt officers of Estates Department.