CAG blow: State reviews land use

Stung by the recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that pointed out various irregularities in land management, the government has decided to get its act together.

Stung by the recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that pointed out various irregularities in land management, the government has decided to get its act together.

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In a directive issued on Monday, the revenue department has asked all officials, including divisional commissioners, collectors to update land records of plots given on lease or occupancy basis. The revenue department has amended its format for maintaining this registrar, asking officials to keep a check on which land hold leases have expired, when they have been renewed, what are the rents, annual records of rents collected and so on. The officials have also been asked to monitor and verify if lease owners have violated the terms and conditions of lease agreements.

If officials find that lease owners have violated terms of agreements, the y have to prepare reports on the violations and submit them to the government. The government resolution issued on Monday states: Update all records as per the new format for all land given out to institutes, trusts for various reasons.

The CAG report on land allotments had slammed the state for irregularities in plots given out at concessional rates to politician-run educational institutes, including those of five cabinet ministers. It also criticised the state for losing public money by not collecting rents on leased plots. The overall loss to the exchequer is to the tune of thousands of crores. “The CAG report has been a cause of huge embarrassment. While the CM has defended the policy of land allotments to educational institutes or other trusts, he has taken serious note of the various irregularities,” a senior bureaucrat said.