The state government on Thursday suspended three revenue officials, including two belonging to the Gujarat Administrative Service (GAS), for allegedly transferring over 800 acre government land to private individuals. The state government also directed the Anti Corruption Bureau to conduct a probe in the case.
The case relates to 800 acre land in Bamanbor and Jivapar village of Surendranagar district, which was declared government land under the agricultural land ceiling. Even though the Supreme Court had ruled in the government's favour, the Chotila mamlatdar JL Dhadvi allegedly misinterpreted the decision, and illegally transferred 324 acre land in the name of the petitioners in 2015.
The private individuals sold the land on the basis of the order.
The state government said in a release that involvement of Chandrakant Pandya, Surendranagar's resident additional collector at the time, and VZ Chauhan, who was Chotila's deputy collector, had also come up in the case.
Pandya is at present posted as general manager in Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation, while VZ Chauhan is deputy district development officer in Porbandar.
The government said that mamlatdar JL Dhadvi passed three orders transferring another 528 acre land in Bamanbor village in the name of three private individuals on the basis of forged sale deeds.
The revenue department said it had suspended the three officials for the criminal act, which was done in connivance with private individuals.
The state government said the suspension of the three officials was one more decisive step in its commitment to provide a transparent and corruption-free rule. This drive would be continued in the future and corruption would be dealt strictly with, it added.
CASE DIARY
The case relates to 800 acre land in Bamanbor and Jivapar village of Surendranagar district, which was declared government land under the agricultural land ceiling. The legal action came in connivance with private individuals.
