Punjab: Naib tehsildar sacked for mutation of shamlat land
The orders came after an inquiry found Varinderpal Singh Dhoot guilty of mutation of common village land measuring over 10k kanals in Seonk village in Kharar
Punjab government on Wednesday dismissed naib tehsildar Varinderpal Singh Dhoot for allegedly sanctioning the mutation of shamlat (common village land) at Seonk village in Kharar in favour of private individuals in 2016.
The action came following a detailed inquiry by former additional district and sessions judge BR Bansal that found Dhoot guilty of violating the Punjab Village Common Lands Act, 1961.
The detailed inquiry revealed that Dhoot, while posted as naib tehsildar in Majri, SAS Nagar, had sanctioned mutation on September 28, 2016, transferring ownership of 10,365 kanals and 19 marlas of shamlat land in Seonk village in tehsil Kharar, to private individuals.
Additional chief secretary-cum-financial commissioner revenue (FCR) Anurag Verma ordered the officer’s dismissal.
“Government has a zero-tolerance policy towards such actions. Hence, considering the above facts and situation, I, as the competent authority, hereby decide and order to dismiss Varinderpal Singh Dhoot, Naib Tehsildar (suspended), from government service under Rule 5 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970,” reads the dismissal orders signed by Verma, while terming Dhoot’s actions as ‘malafide’.
The inquiry revealed that Dhoot went ahead with mutation despite clear-cut instructions issued by the revenue department and a 2011 Supreme Court judgment in the Jagpal Singh vs. State of Punjab case, which prohibits the transfer or mutation of shamlat land to private parties.
The inquiry report highlighted that Dhoot had not only sanctioned the mutation illegally but also manipulated the shares of khewatdars/occupants by increasing or decreasing their shares without proper verification. In some cases, individuals with no rightful claim to the land were included as shareholders.
The development came close on the heels of FCR Verma issuing a warning to all deputy commissioners (DCs) in Punjab against corruption and delays in the registration of plots without no objection certificates (NOCs) in the state.
Pertinently, Verma had, earlier, also suspended tehsildar Ranjit Singh for fraudulently registering property deeds in Jagraon while sitting at the Ludhiana East tehsil office. The report showed that Ranjit Singh registered documents in Jagraon at 5.12 PM and, within four minutes, registered another in Ludhiana East at 5.16 PM, which is humanly not possible.
Meanwhile, to enhance transparency and curb corruption, Verma has mandated the installation of four closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at every sub-registrar and joint sub-registrar office across the state. Additionally, all deputy commissioners have been directed to access the CCTV feeds and conduct random checks of live footage to ensure that sub-registrars and joint sub-registrars are present in their offices and that citizens are not facing unnecessary delays or difficulties in getting their work done.
