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Land sale to forest official’s wife under lens
Gurugram The additional principal chief conservator of forests, Haryana, said he will investigate allegations that a relative of Faridabad’s district forest officer
Gurugram The additional principal chief conservator of forests, Haryana, said he will investigate allegations that a relative of Faridabad’s district forest officer had purchased about a quarter of an acre of Aravalli common-use land last year.
Alok Varma, additional principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Haryana, said on Tuesday, “I have received the details of the case today. We will examine the jamabandi of the land (record of land rights) and take appropriate steps.”
Senior officials in the panchayat and revenue departments also said that they would open an inquiry on the receipt of a formal complaint. Environmentalists in Faridabad on Tuesday also lodged formal complaints with the state vigilance department, which is yet to reply.
It has been alleged that Priya Punia, wife of DFO, Suresh Punia, had purchased five ‘kanal’, 14 ‘marla’ (about a quarter of an acre) of land in Mangar village from the previous owner at a cost of ₹10 lakh on March 11, 2019.
Suresh Punia did not respond to multiple calls and messages seeking comment on Tuesday, while Priya Punia could not be contacted despite multiple attempts. The chief conservator of forests, south Haryana, D Hembram, also did not respond to multiple requests seeking comment.
Environmentalists and locals residents in Mangar village have alleged that the plot in question comes under the land-use category of ‘gair mumkin pahar’, whose ownership status is presently in dispute, and whose conservation status is yet to be decided.
‘Gair mumkin pahar’ lands in Mangar and other Aravalli villages are historically common-use lands, classified as panchayat deh or shamlat deh. “They were privatised by in the 1980s through misuse of the Land Consolidation Act, which is meant for agricultural holdings, not for hilly common land,” explained Sunil Harsana, a conservationist and resident of Mangar.
As a result, common land that was earlier reserved for purposes, such as grazing and collecting firewood for all members of the community (including the landless), came under the private ownership of the villagers. Subsequently, these holdings were sold to buyers. The plot in question was transferred to at least two previous owners before being purchased, allegedly, by Priya Punia.
The mutation and registry papers of the transaction acknowledge the status of the land as ‘gair mumkin pahad’, which is considered to be a part of the Aravallis in Gurugram, as per the MoEFCC’s Aravalli Notification, 1992. The forest status of these lands is yet to be ascertained.
Anil Hooda, former principal chief conservator of forests, Haryana, who retired on January 9, said, “The forest department will need to investigate this. Firstly, they will need to see if the transaction has been disclosed by the DFO. Even if it has been purchased by his wife, who has a different source of income, disclosure of such assets is required under the code of conduct for civil servants and may also require prior permission from superiors. Secondly, the ownership history of the land needs to be ascertained.”
Narendra Jowel, district revenue officer of Faridabad, said, “If the land was shamlat at any point, it should be vested with the panchayat. The tehlisdar who sanctioned the registry of the plot should be questioned. We will take up the matter, if we receive an official complaint.”
Col (retd.) Sarvadaman Oberoi, who has previously initiated proceedings against land consolidation in the Aravalli villages of Kot and Roz Ka Gujjar, alleged that there are much larger land holdings in the Aravallis, running into hundreds of acres, which have been consolidated by private parties. “It is not the first time that someone within the government or their relative have purchased Aravalli land, but for someone within the forest department, or their relative, to do so, is a first. It is a proprietary issue,” he added.
Faridabad-based activists on Tuesday filed a complaint with the state vigilance department. “The plot of land is located within the buffer zone of the Mangar Bani (sacred grove). Privatising it would pose a huge risk to Delhi-NCR’s last remaining pristine forest,” said Kailash Bidhuri, founder of the Save Aravalli non-profit.
Yashpal Yadav, the deputy commissioner of Faridabad, who is the highest officer of revenue administration in the district, did not respond to messages seeking comment on Tuesday.
