Chennai’s neighbouring districts remain den of land scams – The New Indian Express

Chennai News

Express News Service

CHENNAI:  Notorious for land scams, revenue officials in Chennai’s neighbouring districts are now under the scanner as the Madras High Court recently directed the Commissioner of Land Administration (CLA) to inquire into the “missing” documents at the Tambaram Revenue Divisional Office (RDO).

The court also sought a probe into the RDO’s jurisdiction in transferring pattas in a land-dispute case, and wondered how the RDO issued an order transferring pattas when this power is vested with the tahsildar.
Over the last two decades, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts have earned a reputation of being the den of land scams due to the alleged involvement of officials and local bigwigs.

A few months ago, registration of land worth Rs 3,500 crore – in Thazhambur of Vandalur Taluk and Beemanthangal of Sriperumbudur taluk – was frozen following complaints that government-land pattas were issued fraudulently.

The latest controversy is related to a land dispute between two private companies over granting pattas to 1.79 acres of land worth about Rs 60 crore in Pallavaram taluk. Despite objections, in July 2019, the then Tambaram RDO ordered a transfer of patta to one of the claimants, saying the land was in the name of one Damodharan.

In a writ appeal filed before the Madras HC, the Tambaram revenue authorities said the applications and other documents related to the property could not be found. A division bench of Justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Krishnan Ramaswamy, in its interim order, observed that there is no such person named Damodharan, and the fictitious name was created just to transfer ownership of the property.

The court also directed the CLA to inquire under what authority the RDO issued an order for a patta transfer when only the tahsildar is empowered to do so under the Tamil Nadu Patta Pass Book Act.
Activists, meanwhile, said that though there is evidence, officials involved in land scams go scot-free because of the reluctance of the government to take action.

Dharanitharan, an activist from Avadi, said although there were efforts in the past to clean up the mess in land records, they went in vain as officials against whom cases are pending or those involved in land forgery continue to get posted in Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts. “Government should take policy decisions to ensure only upright officials are posted in these districts,” the activist said. For example, it is learnt that a revenue official, who is allegedly named in an FIR related to a cheating case and is out on anticipatory bail, has been posted in Chengalpattu.

Another social activist, G Sathish from OMR, said the delay in digitising land documents and absence of clear boundaries for lands are primary reasons behind the disputes and scams. “The government must expedite taking policy decisions on various land-related subjects that are pending for decades,” he said.
Revenue officials said the government has constituted a special committee to retrieve  government lands illegally sold and encroached upon in the three districts.

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2021/sep/27/chennais-neighbouring-districts-remain-den-of-land-scams-2364189.html