Gurdaspur, February 19
A recent order by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department to get encroachments removed on shamlat (common village) land has set the alarm bells ringing amongst district administration officials, who fear that they may be politically victimised if they go ahead with the implementation of the department’s directive.

The order, as it comes just ahead of the politically sensitive block samiti, zila parishad and panchayat elections, is giving the jitters to officials who claim that the “order may not be implemented in letter and spirit because many of the encroachments are decades old and, moreover, people who have infringed on the common land have solid political backing.”

In Patiala, the native town of Rural Development Minister SS Rakhra, a whopping 1,898-acre of land has been encroached upon while the count is much lower in other districts.

In Gurdaspur, nearly 63 acres of shamlat land has been infringed upon. The problem is all the more acute in this district where out of a total of seven Vidhan Sabha seats, five are held by Congress legislators. However, on all five of these seats, it is the writ of senior SAD leaders who have been designated as halqa in charges which runs large.

A senior officer, on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the maximum number of encroachments have been come up with the tacit approval of these halqa in charges.

“There have been instances of some Congress backed people encroaching on shamlat land, but these very people, in an attempt to safeguard their interests, have now fallen in the fold of halqa in charges. It is these very leaders who are protecting the interests of the violators keeping an eye on the forthcoming panchayat and Parliament elections,” said an Akali leader. Officials site various examples where people backed by halqa in charges have violated norms.

In Qadian Rajputa village, falling under Fatehgarh Churian assembly segment, a villager who is a known supporter of the halqa in charge of the area, has grabbed prime shamlat land. “Who will bell the cat in this case? Even if we take the help of the police to vacate the land, we will not be able to take possession,” confided a Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO).

Officials have been caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. “In case the DDPOs and BDPOs do not act against such land grabbers, it will be considered connivance on part of these officers and disciplinary action will be initiated against them,” remarked a Rural Development Department Officer.