By Saima Bhat

KL Report

Srinagar

Congress legislative council members in the upper house had suggested that the panel probing the land grab by the PHE minister, Taj Mohi ud Din should be dissolved and instead a panel should be set against the department which alleged that the PHE minster has illegally occupied forest land in the Sedow forests of Shopian district. Later the panel was dissolved and the Chairman said, “It was done in wake of the fact that house’s largest political party (read NC) withdrew its members and refused to act on the penal.”

In a recent development in the case, it is revealed that one of his Congress colleagues, R S Chib who is heading the party in the council in his confidential letter  addressing Legislative Council Chairman, Amrit Malhotra, on November 7 openly supported him. He had suggested a house committee to be constituted against the department which alleged the land grab by Taj.

“It is requested to kindly examine the whole issue and explore the possibility of rescinding the orders which have been issued for the constitution of House committee. This will go a long way in resolving the issue in an amicable manner,” suggests the document.

In his letter, R S Chib said that the question under discussion was whether Taj Mohi ud Din, is in possession of forest land or not but it appears that the committee constituted has crossed its mandate. It further adds that J&K assembly secretariat has started to provide property statements of the minister and have even asked commissioner/ secretary to government-revenue department to furnish details of his land at various locations across the state, which has nothing to do with the present enquiry. It seems that all this is being done for unknown reasons and may unnecessarily malign the name, fame and public image of a sitting cabinet minister in the grab, reads the document.

The letter also mentions RS Chib was against the panel of the house committee. He has said both, the complainant and his lone supporter has been included in the house committee, which seems that the committee itself shall act as prosecutor, judge and the jury, therefore, defeating the basic tenets of natural justice.

The letter also states that all the precedence and norms have been ignored while signing the orders under the seal and signature of the chairman and it was issued from his personal section when it should have been issued by the Council Secretariat under the seal and signature of the secretary J&K legislative council.

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