TOBA TEK SINGH, May 12: The district council sub-committee has submitted its report to the district Naib Nazim (district council convener) regarding the dispute of possession on 1,491 acres farmland of a nearby Chak 300-GB.

It has also recommended that the Forest Department should be instructed to take all possible measures to maintain active possession of the land to save it from Qabza groups.

The matter was raised before the district council session two months ago and the house had constituted a sub-committee to probe into the dispute and to find out its permanent solution.

The committee stated in its report that 44 years ago 126 Christian community farmers were allotted 1,491 acres of land with a share of 12.5 acres per family under the ‘grow more food scheme’. The Punjab governor in 1959 allotted this land to the Forest Department as the previous allottees had not cultivated the land and even left the village after a few months.

The report added that in 1993 certain land grabbers became active and started giving applications to various authorities with the request that the land be given to Christians. One of these groups was headed by Dildar Masih whose application was cast away by then deputy commissioner Farooq Ahmad Khan on Oct 20, 1994, and no appeal was filed against his decision.

Another qabza group headed by Javed Safdar had filed a petition before the Lahore High Court with the request that allotment of land in favour of the Forest Department be declared illegal and possession be given to them. But their petition was also dismissed by Justice Karamat Bhandari on Aug 25, 1998. He also filed appeal before the division bench which was also dismissed by Justice Malik Muhammad Qayum and Justice Ghulam Mehmood Qureshi on May 6, 1999.

Similar application was filed by another group headed by JP John to various authorities but was rejected by then deputy commissioner Mian Kamaluddin on July 3, 1999.

Later, Christian fathers including Tariq Bhatti and Ghafoor Maseeh filed another similar petition which was disposed of on Aug 1, 2001 by the high court.

Another writ filed by Ghafoor Masih was also dismissed by the high court on Nov 29, 2001.

A separate writ petition filed by Christian father Tariq Bhatti had also been decided on Jan 30, 2002, by the high court with the observation that the respondent Toba Tek Singh DCO should decide the application regarding permission to deposit the Lagaan (revenue) within 10 days after hearing the parties.

The sub-committee further stated that it was pointed out that 36 people of the qabza group had deposited the lagaan at Rs1,596 per head as land rent without permission from the competent authority. On inquiry, it transpired they had stolen away treasury vouchers, affixed bogus seal and signature of the revenue officer and deposited the revenue rent money.

Report added they had only tried to impose their right on the land, therefore, a case had been registered against all 36 qabza group persons under sections 471, 420, 468 PPC in Chuttiana police station on Jan 4, 2002.

The sub-committee said that certain persons had constantly been filing applications by changing names while allottees neither cultivated the land nor land was renamed in their possession. Had the land been in their possession they would have deposited the rent every year and the girdawari would also have been in their name.

The sub-committee recommended that the district Forest Department be asked to explain as to why it did not take interest in maintaining department’s possession on the land.