In a major development, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has shot a letter to Chhattisgarh Government to initiate a probe against former Surguja Collector Sanjeev Jha, on the charges of corruption, emanating from his collusion in granting bulk permission to sell lease of lend given to Bangladeshi refugees for their rehabilitation in Chhattisgarh. These lands were known as ‘Punarwas Patta’ as per the land records and locally known as ‘Bengali Patta’. In this regard, Rupesh Kumar, Under Secretary from Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India (GoI), has shot an official communique to Chief Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh, to take appropriate action against Sanjeev Kumar Jha, a 2011 batch Indian Administrative Cadre (IAS) officer of Chhattisgarh Cadre. The letter, a copy of which has also been accessed by ‘The Hitavada’, highlights that the action sought against the officer is based on a complaint filed to the PMO by one D K Soni, identified as a Right to Information (RTI) activist, based in Surguja. Notably, ‘The Hitavada’ had run a 3-part investigation series based on a 35-page confidential letter of Income Tax Department’s sensational findings into the search and seizure operations carried out on the multiple premises of former Minister Amarjeet Bhagat and others. The multi-part expose, based on the secret I-T Department’s communiqué – also earmarked to Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) – revealed the systematic abuse of power for amassing wealth by usurping government land meant for rehabilitation of refugees of Bangladesh, who arrived in Ambikapur district of Chhattisgarh after the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

 

 

 

These refugees from Bangladesh were allotted land in and around Subhash Nagar area of Ambikapur. The I-T department findings also disclosed that the syndicate purchased ‘Bengali Patta’ at very low cost, after getting permission from the District Collector, since he had close proximity with the then Minister Amarjeet Bhagat. The same ‘Bengali Patta’ lands were later sold at very high/premium costs to other persons including relatives of Amarjeet Bhagat. This Bengali Patta situated at Subhash Nagar in Ambikapur, is a very valuable land worth nearly Rs. 1 crore per acre. Concurrently, RTI activist Dinesh Soni also formally lodged a complaint to this effect at State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Headquarters here in the state capital, seeking action against former Surguja Collector Sanjeev Kumar Jha, for giving bulk permission to sell rehabilitation land. As per the complaint, Soni alleged that the IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar Jha during his stint as Surguja Collector took hefty bribes for issuing bulk permission from his office regarding the sale of rehabilitation land. “In one such instance, Sanjeev Jha colluded with the syndicate members in facilitating the selling of land lease of a refugee Kadam Mandal, by forging fake signatures and issuing authority letters for its sale to a certain individual Rahul Garg and others for Rs 21 lakh.

 

Kadam Mandal, who lives in Delhi, owned the lease of this land, bearing Khasra Number-223/12 and measured 0.400 hectare, situated at Subhash Nagar area of Ambikapur. Sanjeev Jha as District Collector had issued an order for the sale of this land within a month period,” Soni maintained in his complaint to SEOIACB. According to Soni, Collector Jha minted several crores through the syndicate by facilitating the sale of land lease of refugees, even after he was transferred to Korba. “Collector Jha alone passed more than half such permission in one day i.e. dated May 26th, 2022, which clearly indicates abuse of power for corruption,” he added.

 

 

 

When ‘The Hitavada’ contacted, former Surguja Collector Sanjeev Kumar Jha denied the allegations asserting that all necessary rules and regulations of Revenue Department were duly followed in giving permission to facilitate in the sale and purchase of ‘Punarwas Patta’ (Bengali Patta). “As a matter of fact, in the budget session of Chhattisgarh Assembly, it has been accepted that it’s a judicial power under Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code (CGLRC). Its judicial power under CGLRC, then any grievance or wrongdoing, if at all, should be challenged in a revenue court.

 

Here the State Government on the floor of assembly admitted the power of the Collector to grant permission. Exercising this section of CGLRC, such permissions have been given by almost all Collectors of Surguja in the past. It’s very much on records and papers,” he added. Jha, who is presently posted as Director of Samagra Shiksha in Raipur, further said, the whole episode is malicious, malafide and devoid of facts. However, RTI activist Dinesh Soni has singled out one Collector. It shows his biased attitude,” he countered, adding further that the Soni himself and his relative are beneficiaries of buying refugee land, for which he got requisite permission from his successor Collector in Surguja. Jha also underlined that Collector Court cases are admitted, heard and disposed online through the e-court module, but Soni has alleged backdating, which is not possible at all.