Moga village pools in Rs 5 lakh to install land boundary markers to avoid disputes

With the revenue department failing to preserve or install landmark stones to demarcate boundaries on the ground, residents of Kokri Kalan village in Moga have pooled in Rs 5 lakh for the project of restoration of these markers.

Under their initiative that started in August 2017, villagers have hired a private firm for accurate measurement, with GPS, for the demarcation of their land holdings across 7,000 acres in the village. Residents have purchased 380 marble mark-stones from Rajasthan for Rs 2 lakh. The rest of the money will go into paying for labour and other works necessary to complete the massive task. The installation of the new stones will be completed by May 20.

The project was necessitated as in the absence of demarcation, there used to be frequent disputes between the villages. A 2003 murder over one such dispute still haunts the residents.

The previous markers, installed in 1955-56 are in a shambles. In August last year, villagers had completed a building for the revenue department to keep records.

Kokri Kalan patwari Jaspal Singh, widely credited with bringing the villagers on a common platform, to ensure that the project materialises, said, “This was necessary, as due to the absence of mark stones, any application for demarcation created a problem for us.”

“The panchayat passed a resolution to install the demarcating stones. Then, we also took permission from the deputy commissioner,” said social worker Karam Singh, adding that they had been getting calls from other villagers to know about the project.

Moga SDM Sukhpreet Singh is all praise for the efforts of the villagers. “To manage the records and properly demarcate the boundaries, we have got three reference points under the project. We have deputed a patwari and a kanungo to assist the private firm in the entire process,” the SDM added.

Moga deputy commissioner Dilraj Singh said, “The project has been started as part of a government policy to ensure the ease of the demarcation process of private land.”