The performance audit on encroachments on government land for non-agricultural purposes has revealed that the State government did not maintain any database of the government land in the State. The audit also noted that data of encroachments on government land were not available at the district and tehsil levels.
‘Unrealiable data’
The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the revenue sector observed that the authorities did not take any action on encroachers in various districts even after noticing it. The report said, “The data prepared under the Maharajaswa Abhiyan was not reliable. There were discrepancies in maintenance of encroachment register. No action was taken for eviction of encroachment. No periodical survey was conducted by the Circle Officers for identification of encroachment.”
A case in point
The report has cited examples from Niphad in Nashik district where encroachment cases have been found in all 135 villages of the tehsil, but the government register shows only 55. Government land measuring 67,490.20 square metres of Lendi Talab, a water body in Mouza Nagpur Khas, was encroached with the construction of between 1,200 and 1,500 houses.
In Thane city, a slum comprising 300 to 350 houses had come up on a lake that existed 30 to 35 years ago. The remaining open land is being used for parking vehicles. Encroachment on government land with respect to brick kilns in three tehsils was 1,74,421.71 square metres. The report pointed out that monitoring by the department was weak owing to lack of periodical reports for keeping a check on encroachment, efforts to obtain data/information on government land and laxity of the department in taking penal action against encroachers.
The report said, “The Collector should verify the land allotted on lease and on expiry of lease period it should be either renewed or the lessee evicted. In case of occupancy right, Revenue Authorities should ensure that land is being used for the purpose for which it was allotted. The dedicated squad at the district should be formed to monitor the government land.”
Arrears locked in appeals
The arrears of revenue locked up in appeals with the Sales Tax Department, Maharashtra Sales Tax Tribunal and the courts as on March 31, 2016 totalled to ₹60,135.26 crore in 1,02,743 appeal cases.
Of these, 31% (₹18,673.47 crore in 131 cases) were pending from four oil companies: Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Reliance Industries Limited.