Solution beckons pending army-civil land disputes

Solution beckons pending army-civil land disputes
Committee decides Burtuk land in favour of Army
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Solution beckons pending army-civil land disputes

01 March, Gangtok: Disputes involving Civil and Military Lands in Sikkim, some of which have pending for more than 50 years , are set for a permanent solution with the State Government accepting the recommendation of the 9-member committee constituted in 2009 to look into land related issues between the Army and State Government.
The committee in its report has given a necessary direction to the Army, land revenue department and concerned district collectors for solving the disputes. The committee, established in July 2009 was chaired by the then land revenue secretary KT Chakapa and represented by representatives from Army, Forests, Administration, Border Road Organisation BRO, Urban Development Department and Land Revenue Departments.
After visiting the sistes and scrutinizing the available dossiers in three meeting , the commitee made a several recommendation in its report which was accepted by the cabinets in the last meeting. The report of the committee has been accepted by the cabinets in total and necessary direction have been given to the concerned agencies , said land revenue secretary BR Kharel.
Among the major recommendation accepted by the government was 63 acres of land at Burtuk in East Sikkim occupied by Army presently as a gift from the Sikkim Darbar and then a Political Officer to be mutated in the favour of Army.
In its report the committee decided that the 37 acres of land was given by the Sikkim Darbar and 26 acres of land made available to the Army by then Political Officer at Burtuk prior to 1955 as per the documentary evidences produced by the Army. The committee has rejected the claim of the forest department that the particular land was a reserve forest and directed the east district collector to confirm the ownership in the favour of the Army.
It was informed that the army authorities had also requested the government to allow creation of permanent infrastructure within the 63 acres of land at Burtuk which the cabinet also gave an approval.’
Another recommendation of the committee the 197 acres of land at Penangla in east District to be mutated in favour of Army as it was satisfied that the land is acquired by the Army and land compensation were paid. The land had been handed over to the Army in 1978 by the State Government. No land survey had been carried in this area during 1951-52 and 1978-82 surveys and hence the committee found out the claim of the forest department as per the topo sheet of 197 falls short, the report states adding the committee had authorized the east district collector to confirm the land record in favour of the Army.
Similar decision was taken for new cantonment at Gangtok. The report states that the 119.47 acres of land at new cantonment at Gangtok has been mutated in favour of Army authority in the relevant land record. Any left out areas, the Army will approach east district collector for joint inspection and the district collector will on the basis of documentary evidence produced by the Army Authority confirm the land record in favour of the Army, the report states.
regarding the responsibilities given to him as per the committee’s recommendations as district collector D Anandan said that no surveys have been done at the army areas in Burtuk and Penangla. The next process is to conduct a survey of these land and then record in the land records, he said.
But first the land revenue department has to issue notifications for survey will take a time, said land revenue secretary. We have work out the financial implications and taken an administrative decision, he said.
One of the recommendations of the committee was on the encroachment of 14 acres of land by Army at Zoluk , in East District. Out of 14 acres, 13 acres are forest land and one acre is private holding and the committee has in its report stated that the army is in unauthorised possession.
The committee has decided that the army will initiate permanent acquisition of this land and approach the forest department and the private holding owner. The committee has also directed the army authorities to immediately settle all hiring arrears as per the hiring arrears as per the hiring rage determined by the land revenue department. Another issue taken up by the committee was on the encroachment of school building at Bhojoghari at Penangla. It decided that the army authority will recommend to the Ministry of Defence to regularize the encroached area of 0.82 acres in favour of Bhojoghari School which is under the State Government.
The committee further found that 2.4 acres of land hired by the Army at Thangu monastery in North Sikkim and presently used by ITBP is hardly of any use from defence point of view. The committee has recommended that the Army authority should de-hire the land and hand over it to the Thangu Monastery.