In a State-wide crackdown on alleged land grabbers, the Gujarat government has lodged 345 FIRs in the cases of land grabbing and encroachment.
The State Revenue Department has received 6,884 applications in one year after a special law was brought in to deal with rising cases of land grabbing and illegal encroachment.
“In one year, we received 6,884 applications, out of which the authorities have completed the investigations in 4,489 applications. Following the investigations, 345 FIRs have been filed against 1,178 persons,” said Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel.
According to him, in 345 cases, a total of 28.61 crore square metres land has been grabbed or encroached illegally. The market value of that land is around ₹730 cr.
In September 2020, the Gujarat Assembly unanimously passed the Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill, 2020 that prohibits land grabbing in the State and imposes imprisonment of up to 14 years on land mafias.
The law was enacted after the State authorities received a large number of complaints about illegal encroachment and land grabbing by mafia elements in the State.
With the implementation of the law, the State government has set up a seven-member committee headed by the District Collector in every district to scrutinise complaints of land grabbing. The Committee, after the scrutiny, recommends further action, either to lodge an FIR against the accused, or to close it if it does not find any corroborative evidence of land grabbing.
On Wednesday, Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel shared details of the actions the authorities have initiated after the law was brought in.
“We have set up special courts in each district where cases pertaining to only land grabbing will be dealt with. Accordingly, 190 persons have been charge-sheeted so far,” he told mediapersons on Wednesday.
He added that complaints against land grabbing can now also be submitted online in a special portal created for the purpose. “There are special gangs involved in land grabbing activities in cities and even in rural areas. The government will not spare such elements who indulge in usurping lands of poor people, farmers, women and others,” Mr. Patel said.
