Patiala district admn asks forest dept to vacate land for govt elementary school

‘ENCROACHMENT’ Block primary education officer says while going through revenue departments records, they found that the forest department was encroaching upon the said land, so, education dept has asked them to vacate it

The district administration has asked the forest department to vacant a four canal land at Gobind Nagar so that it can be provided to the local Government Elementary School, here on Wednesday.

Government Elementary School, Gobind Nagar, which was established around 50 years back, has been functioning from a local dharamshala since its inception. (HT PHOTO)

The then state cabinet had allotted the said land to the school for construction of a campus building, 10 years back. However, the land has allegedly been encroached by the forest department.

Due to this, the school has been functioning from a dharamshala, since its inception. The administration has issued the notice to the forest department and asked them to vacant the land within a week.

Officials of the education department said that two rooms that had been constructed on the land are lying unused and are in a dilapidated state. These rooms belongs to the forest department.

Government Elementary School, Gobind Nagar, which was established here around 50 years back, has been functioning from a dharamshala. There are only two rooms and a verandah in the building which accommodates 67 students of five classes.

A piece of tarpaulin is being used in the verandah to protect students from the bone-chilling cold and for making space to accommodate more students.

An official of the district education department said that the school did not have land for constructing of a campus building. But 10 years back, the then state government had allotted a four canal land to the school.

But education department had not taken possession of the land.

According to a letter of the Punjab home affair and justice department, which was sent to the education and revenue department, the then Punjab government had transferred the land of Open Nabha Jail on the name of the school in 2010. The cabinet had given its approval for this on January 22, 2010.

Later, on February 5, 2010, the home affair and justice department had written to the state revenue department to complete further mandatory proceedings. However, nothing happened in the matter for the next 10 years.

Despite this, neither did the education department take possession of the land nor did it make any other arrangements to provide campus to the school.

After HT, in its reports, highlighted the matter last year, the education department swung into action.

Block primary education officer ( BPEO) Hans Raj said, “During checking of documents and records of the revenue departments, we found that the forest department has illegally encroached upon the said land. So, we have asked them to vacate the land.”

“On Wednesday, we have gone to the site to take possession of the land. We found that the land is still in possession of the forest department and they have not even tried to vacate it so far,” he said.

“Now, we have approached the administration and it have given a notice to the forest department and given them seven days to vacate the land,” the BPEO added.

District forest officer (DFO) Harbajan Singh said, “We will act as per the revenue records. If the land is registered in the school’s name, we will vacate it.”