Speed Post News Network
Dehri-on-Sone: Khasmahal land spread over hundreds of acre under Dehri-on-sone sub-division in Rohtas district has been encroached by the land mafia and a number of multi-storey buildings have come up on them but the district administration does not appear concerned about it. The encroached land are now being sold to earn money.
Before independence, a ‘khasmahal kutchery’ was there at Dehri-on-Sone in a government building on the bank of river Sone and officials attended their offices regularly and collected revenue from the khasmahal land but not any more. In 1930, 376 persons were given 42 acre of khasmahal land from Sone main canal to Sone river area on 100 year lease but later with the amendment in the Lease Act, the duration of the lease was reduced to 30 years. The lease holders are now illegally holding the possession of the land as their lease was not renewed.
About 1,240 persons have illegally possessed the khasmahal land while the Circle Officer said there are only 902 lease holders. It was said that notices were served on the illegal lease holders asking them to vacate the land. In the last survey, the existence of only 27 acre of land was found due to encroachment and sale by the land mafias. That apart, 10 acre of khasmahal land was left for the common use including 1.5 acre of land for pond but the land mafias have allegedly sold them. Circle office source said that only 2.23 acre of khasmahal land is available for renewal but land mafias are trying to sell them out too.
SDM, Dehri-on-Sone, Pankaj Patel said the lease of the khasmahal land has expired and work on renewal of lease will start only after direction from the government. He said sell of khasmahal land is illegal and encroachment will be removed at any cost.