3 Guj officials suspended for land allotment 'irregularities'

The Gujarat government Thursday suspended three officials, including the general manager of a state-run entity, for alleged irregularities in allotment of 800 acres of government land to private persons.

The government ordered suspension against Chandrakant Pandya, general manager of Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (GSCSCL), V Z Chauhan, deputy district development officer of Porbandar, and J L Dhadvi, former in-charge mamlatdar (revenue officer) of Chotila taluka in Surendranagar, a press release said.

While Pandya had earlier served as the resident additional collector of Surendranagar, Chauhan was the deputy collector, it added.

The state Revenue Department had carried out a probe in which the trio was found guilty of irregularities in allotment of around 800 acres of land to private persons at Bamanbor and Jivapar villages in Chotial taluka in Surendranagar district some years ago.

The land in question was forfeited by the government in the past under the Agricultural Land Ceiling Act, the release said.

Although the Supreme Court, while hearing petitions regarding the ownership of a piece of land measuring around 300 acres in Chotila taluka, gave its verdict in the government's favour, the trio approved the transfer of land.

It is alleged that these officials intentionally misinterpreted the apex court order to approve the transfer of land, which was then sold by the private persons even before the state government gave its nod to the transfer order passed by these officials, the release said.

In addition, these officials were also involved in approving transfer of another 500 acres of land to private persons by misinterpreting an order passed by the Gujarat High Court about land ceiling provisions, it said.

After the irregularities came to light, the state government not only suspended them, but also ordered a departmental inquiry against the trio, the release said.

The government has also directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to conduct a probe against these officials, it added.