Settlement work starts in Kasauli encroached areas

By: Jagmeet Y. Ghuman

SOLAN: The encroachers could face embarrassing situation as Revenue Department has started the settlement work of three patwar circles in Kasauli Tehsil. The state government has issued a notification in this regard recently after state High Court has directed to conduct settlement in area where revenue records were not in good condition. Currently the settlement work has started in Dharampur, Guladi and Kot patwar circles where the revenue records were believed to be in virtual mutilated condition.

As per information available around 124 villages in Kasauli Tehsil were such where revenue records have no reliable existence. In the lack of revenue settlement in past century there was no clear cut situation available about land status.

The things were come to light after the matter was highlighted in English daily followed by a writ field by Mr. Ramesh Gupta in High Court. The revenue records of Dharampur circle particularly of Dhar Ki Behr and Batohl villages were virtually non-existed.

The police was helpless to take action against violators for want of physical demarcation of land. Interestingly in 1992, in a civil suit to Senior Sub-Judge, Solan, the Tehsildar Kasauli was appointed as local commissioner to demarcate the disputed site. But he failed to do so as no relevant revenue record was available. The inadequate revenue records have led to unauthorized land deeds and violations of HP Land Reforms and Tenancy Act.

Mr. K.K. Sharma, Tehsildar, Kasauli while confirming the developments has said that there was high possibility to detect the violators during settlement. The settlement work would take one year to complete, he said. The efforts were also to notify the other villages in Tehsil where revenue data was in bad condition. , he asserted.