Ex-armyman fights losing battle for his land

Times of India: Bhopal: Monday, February 03, 2014.

Call it an irony, but an ex-serviceman, who had not yielded ground to enemy force, is determined to go down fighting for his own land for which he has been struggling for 30 long years.

Honoured with Raksha Medal in Indo-Pak war of 1965, Amarnath Chaurasia, 67, is readying to go on hunger strike. "I have grown old but I will continue to fight," Chaurasia told TOI.

A total of 11.5 acre of land in Girgita village under Maihar tehsil in Satna district belonging to Chaurasia was allegedly acquired by government and handed over to mining firms in 1983. Since then Chaurasia, a resident of Amiliya village, is struggling to either get compensation or land against his property and 30 years down, the struggle continues.

In the past three decades, he was given possession of his land on papers several times and it was again taken over several times-but on the ground, the land has always been with mining companies and mining department has been earning revenue through the piece of land.

"I went to OBC commission, I went to Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC), I went to Soldier Welfare Board, shot off many letters to senior officials, all in vain," Chaurasia told TOI, alleging that "there is a nexus between revenue officials and mining companies, who have grabbed his land. Now, I am a retired army personnel and I am managing with my family in Mumbai with meagre pension."

"I was informed that my land has been acquired in 1983, but neither compensation nor any documents related to acquisition were given to me," Chaurasia said. "I continued writing and meeting officials, but nothing happened," he said.

In 2008, SDM Maihar had given in writing that the government had acquired the land, Chaurasia told TOI.

"Still no compensation was paid. When I began demanding compensation and land, because as per state government norms a landless ex-serviceman is eligible for five acres of land, I was informed in March 2010 by tehsildar Maihar that my land was never acquired," Chaurasia said.

They gave all copies of khasra and made me pay 'laagan' (property tax) for all years, Chaurasia told TOI.

"Again in September 2010, I was shocked to discover my land has been divided between me and my brother with connivance of revenue officials without my knowledge," he alleged.

"The land was sold to a mining company in January 2011," he said, adding, "I moved an application wtih SDM Maihar. Once again, the SDM cancelled orders of tehsildar in November 2011 and the plot of land was returned to me. I was again given documents of possession and copies of khasra in March 2012."

But hardly a few months later senior officials cancelled this order in August 2012, Chaurasia said. "Since then I have been continuously writing, but to no avail," he said.

"Officials of mining department have informed me under RTI Act that they don't have any documents related to acquisition," he said. Later, officials even refused to accept applications sent by Chaurasia under Right to Information Act, 2005.

One such recent application under RTI Act, addressed to public information officer, office of divisional commissioner Rewa dated September 2013 was returned. When Chaurasia sought details regarding return of application from post office, Chaurasia was communicated by the department of posts that the divisional commissioner's office refused to accept the letter. Copies of all relevant documents are in possession of TOI.

When TOI contacted district mining officer Satna, B M Pandey, he said, "It is basically a revenue related matter. We have nothing to do with it. As per my knowledge, mining continued on the land as it was allocated to companies by revenue department."

Maihar tehsildar Pankaj Mishra said, "It is just two months that I was transferred to Maihar so I don't have any knowledge about the issue."

District collector B L Meena said, "Currently, the status is he alleges that his land has been sold to the mining company by his kin with connivance of revenue officials posted at that time. But once it is done, there is no way out other than moving civil court. Because the registry is done, only court can decide the matter."

"Instead of taking action against erring officials officers want me to go to court so that they can save the guilty officials as they know that I am already 67-year-old and can die before the court reaches any decision and in that condition the case will be closed," Chaurasia said.