Panel formed to keep eye on illegal patta sale - Four-member team to scan land deals near Siliguri struck between realtors & patta holders

TT, Siliguri, Dec. 10: The Darjeeling district administration today formed a committee to check illegal transfer of "patta" plots in areas around Siliguri and suggest steps against such deals after several cases of selling of such land came to the notice of officials.

Administrative officials said they had come across reports that a section of real estate developers was buying "patta" land in areas like Matigara.

The committee will have four officials of the district land and land reforms department.

"We have found that a number of buildings have been built near Siliguri without proper land clearances and some of those structures are on patta land which cannot be sold by the patta holder without the government's approval. There are also buildings constructed on vested land. We noticed gross violation of laws related to ownership and transfer of land in several deals," said a senior official of the district administration who didn't want to be named.

The official said action had been initiated against a real estate company that was constructing a building on a patta plot measuring around 2.2 acres purchased illegally in Matigara block.

A senior lawyer in Siliguri said there were several conditions to be fulfilled to sell a patta, a land right given to the landless by the government free of cost.

"It is not that patta land cannot be purchased or sold. The sale depends on the nature of the pattas, which could be transferable or non-transferable. In some cases, a patta plot cannot be sold, for example, before 12 years from the date when the patta is issued. The state has options like taking possession of the land or granting a long term lease to the person who is in possession of the land and regularise it," said the lawyer.

The district land official said that regarding the Matigara plot, they "started the process to cancel the patta as it was found that the company bought the land in an illegal manner. The company appealed before the land reforms and tenancy tribunal which stayed both the proceedings initiated by us as well as the construction," the official said.

As several such cases came to the administration's notice, the committee headed by a revenue officer of the district land and land reforms department was formed.

The official said the committee had been constituted to find out illegal land deals and recommend measures to be taken on shady transactions.

" We want people buying properties to be aware of the illegal transactions. Some of the illegal properties have been identified and we will pursue all these cases as the state is entitled to earn revenue, may be a few crores of rupees, if the land deals are transparent. The four-member panel will recommend measures that should be taken against illegal constructions. If the properties are regularised after following rules and paying the money, it would also help those who have purchased such land," said the official.

He said the committee would report to the district administration every week on illegal land deals.

In order to prevent any illegal transfer of land, the administration has asked all registry offices in Darjeeling district to be on alert.

Sandeep Goyal, the president of the north Bengal chapter of CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India), said the members were always advised to follow rules in land deals.

"If patta land is obtained with due permission from the government and by following all other norms, there should be no problem. It is obvious that obtaining patta land without following rules is unacceptable. Our guidelines tell the members to conform to rules while purchasing a plot," Goyal said.