The impending strike and the flustered top guns! Bus stand Mendhar was a tempting place and undoubtedly the big wigs had to come into picture!

M S Nazki

MENDHAR :-The canvas of land looting in Mendhar became a huge sized one. Bus stand Mendhar was a place where it became larger than it could be imagined. Everyone ranging from politicians, administrators, Police, white collars, businessmen, revenue officials and everyone having truck loads of money wanted a space here. Those who had it as ownership lands were well placed but those who did not have it went for the mechanism called as grab. In the forgotten years it was not a big place. One or two buses or at max three came in with a few shops where hookah specialists sat and sold their merchandize. A few smoked cigarettes that came under a rupee since that was a luxury. Jammu-Mendhar road was not that good as it is today but it was not destined to remain that way. Slowly modernization came in flooding and everything changed. Bus stand changed in multiples since it became a commercial hum and therefore a lucrative place for doing business. In this regard a former Sarpanch Devendra Tandon had many things to say and I could make out that he had voluminous knowledge as to what exactly happened and he had this to elucidate:The total land of Bus Stand Mendhar was 13 Kanals and some Marlas.

Adjoining it was a nursery, where exactly it was cannot be made out since a plethora of buildings have come up here but for sure it was and if records are dug deep it can be found out.

The revenue officials on records have shown that the land is only 10 Kanals and some Marlas clearly indicating there is something wrong in the records of revenue administration.

At present only 6-7 Kanals remains. So where is the rest?

Bus stand was invaded by big men like the politicians, land goons trying get straightened their commissions, revenue officials trying to get their share of the cake, the influential and the affluent who had their own interests, small trick men who earned a living by taking a small space for commercial vehicles who ferried passengers and from the drivers they could take their share of money for each passenger. Police men took the money from these small time grafters, businessmen who wanted to convert small outlets into brand show rooms and the list runs large.

These people as mentioned above got the lands allotted say about 4-5 Marlas and thereafter for encroaching more with help of the then revenue officials.

It was a free for all event and thus came up illegal buildings and thereafter congestion and saturation as vehicles assemble one after the other.

Complaints made were many but the result on the ground was just about nil and here came DC Poonch Rahul Yadav’s order which has set the cat amongst the birds and at the moment all those who went in for wrong illustrations are on a hot tin roof dancing rather uneasily. This jolt from the red they should have anticipated since no encroachment is going to be perfect one. In short old touch stones in revenue demeanor are bound to be changed. The day is not far off. I had already written, ‘all this cannot happen with over indulgence of the revenue officials since they are men who carry out insertions, change Qisms using revenue clauses and equations while mutations are done. The insertions are the ones which ought to be looked into. There is also a possibility that the original documents may have gone missing since that is a usual reply by the lower officials as and when they see trouble heading towards them and mind some are very close to the bigger stalwarts sitting elsewhere examples in this context are many from the times Jammu and Kashmir was state. All these bunglings and fraudulence are of those days. I had long time back mentioned in one of my pieces that as and when the lid of this revenue gutter tank will be lifted the muck and filth flowing out would be shocking, baffling and stunning. This was the time I was waiting for since everything would be for the eyes to see. The people incidentally are the happiest lot and why not? The empire of the state is on the verge of a mega strike! Surefire sign of perish you corruption syndrome! We knew that it was coming but it will come with such a fury many had not anticipated. Rahul Yadav has spent considerable amount of time in Mendhar since he was a SDM here. Therefore it can be concluded that he knows the area and the people particularly well. We all know that the land encroachment bug has spread itself in Mendhar and has infected many people here that include, politicians, white collars and the influential. The area in and around Mendhar bus stand is very lucrative and therefore it was under the magnifying glass of this special class. Gholad is as such very famous for some spectacular land grabs and this happened in the area which is very delicious since it is the commercial hub of Mendhar and quite a happening place as far as major activities are concerned.’

I also wrote, ‘for investigations the DC has constituted a committee which will be headed by SDM Mendhar, Tehsildar, BDO, AEE PWD (R&B) Sub Division Mendhar. This is documented explosion and the first of its kind which is happening. The people know that everything that was happening in and around bus stand was not right since the place saw an intrusion of a very high class syndicate here as the place was at premium and commercially a very buzzing place. The syndicate which I’m referring to included politicians, affluent, influential, white collars and sly brokers who wanted to make money on the state property. The assistance provided by the lower wrung of revenue officials cannot be ruled out since the field officers (patwaris), Girdawars, Niab Tehsildars of the times when this free for all mechanism was going on and was very much prevalent. It is very obvious that after this order has come out which is straight as an arrow panic bells must have started sounding in the ears of those who indulged in this scam and if sources are to be believed then there is not one person involved, in fact there are many. Jammu Jottings will be coming out with names of those stalwarts since this ultimately boils down to looting of the state property. The scamper mode has already begun since the money invested is far too much and that is because the land encroachment syndicate had plenty of money. From where the money came in is yet another side of the coin which has its own story. Certainly they would be seeing their money flowing down the drains provided the investigation go along in the right way! Interferences are bound to be there but so what? If the aim is right no interference matters. If the money is lost by the people who encroached the state land then it’s just too bad since this is an administrative silver streak strike. The people who did if found wrong have to be treated as per the revenue laws since they not only shattered them but also tore them away into tatters. The same have come haunting back.’

The feathers have been ruffled; the hedgehogs are scrambling all over the bushes, the zebras are on the run as if they have felt that some predators are chasing the herd and the bunnies are in closed dark rooms fearing the light and brightness. They are feeling the heat and trying to anticipate as to what is going to happen next. But the people are happy and that to in a big way and one liner they give out of their mouth pieces says, ‘it’s a good thing for the betterment of Mendhar. Take out corruption out f the system and everything would be fine’. President Labor Union Majid Baghi had this to say,’ the decision of the DC Rahul Yadav is like a cool zephyr blowing over Mendhar. Yes it has created the necessary noise but if the decision is implemented Bus Stand could be a better place. At least congestion and honking of horns will no more be heard and the place would be open and worth visiting.’ So the general talk going around with mouth pieces changing is that it’s a great decision taken but we will wait for execution! The executive decision is still with DC Poonch and do remember the name, Rahul Yadav!