9 ‘pattas’ issued for land within hospital compound
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 15
The government losing land to private entities has become routine phenomenon in Nagaland. There is no end to the list of government estates becoming disputed property with private individuals producing ‘pattas’ (land deeds) issued by the Revenue office to challenge the government’s claim.
As a result and more often than not, land for schools, colleges, employee quarters and even seats of government have often unwittingly transformed into private property.
The District Hospital, Dimapur is also caught in such a mess with as many as 9 individuals claiming land within the hospital compound. The claimants also produced ‘pattas’ purportedly issued by the Revenue office, Dimapur.
The ‘pattas’ dated to as early as 2004-05 and the last one was issued as recently as 2017, informed an official of the hospital.
Health & Family Welfare Minister S. Pangnyu Phom at a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, Sushil Kumar Patel today stated that the ‘pattas’ were obtained/issued without the knowledge and approval of the government and thus, illegal. He was accompanied by DH officials led by the Chief Medical Officer, Dimapur.
While maintaining that action will be initiated against those involved, he said that the land in question is government property and belongs to the public in general. “Without proper verification, why did the Revenue office issue ‘patta’ for land which belongs to the hospital authority,” he queried.
He also issued a written communication to the DC calling for examining and cancelling “all the illegal land patta issued to any individual against the land belonging to the District Hospital, Dimapur by your office with immediate effect and impose a total ban on further issuing of land patta to any individual against the said land.”
The DC, on the other hand, maintained, “We have not issued any patta (for government land) during the last 2-3 years.” Nevertheless, he informed that 4 out of the 9 alleged illegal ‘pattas’ have been cancelled while records of 3 others could not be found.
RTI disclosure made by the DC’s office in response to an application filed by the Naga Council, Dimapur indicated that 2 of the ‘pattas’ were “regularised.” As per the disclosure, one was “regularised” through “DC order” dated October 10, 2009, while regularisation date of the other was not legible.
While stating that land deeds as a rule are issued based on the report of the Land Revenue Survey Office, the DC informed that allotment of government land to private entities has been banned since 2005.
The pattas in question were purportedly issued in the name of individuals associated with the Medical department as employees or relatives of employees. While the area of land in dispute was not disclosed, Dr. K. Vikato Kinimi, CMO asserted, “We have the map (of the hospital land). We have to stick to the original map.”
