Sainik Samaj Party Slams Revenue Deptt. Apathy, Seeks Justice For Retired Colonel’s Land Ownership Case
Jammu, Oct 30: The Sainik Samaj Party, Jammu and Kashmir, has strongly condemned the sheer indifference and administrative apathy shown by the Revenue Department of Kathua district in the case of Colonel (Retd) Mohan Singh, a decorated Army veteran who has been fighting for years to reclaim his rightful ownership of a piece of land legally purchased, registered, and mutated in his name more than four decades ago.
Expressing deep anguish over the issue, SSP Colonel S.S. Pathania, Chief Convener and President of Sainik Samaj Party (JKUT), said that the treatment meted out to the retired officer is a disgrace to the values of justice and respect owed to the country’s veterans. He said that Colonel Mohan Singh, who served the nation with honour and distinction, has been subjected to unimaginable stress, humiliation, and emotional trauma for over two decades due to the arbitrary and unjust actions of the local revenue authorities.
According to Pathania, Colonel Mohan Singh had purchased four kanals of land in Khasra No. 163 at Village Chak Sona Nupa, Tehsil and District Kathua, in 1980. The purchase was duly registered and Mutation No. 320 was completed in his name. All relevant entries were made in the official Register Girdawari till 1998. In 1992, the officer sold one kanal of this land, and the sale was also legally reflected in the records. However, in 1999, without any lawful order or explanation, the officer’s name and land details were removed from the Register Girdawari — an act that Pathania described as “illegal, arbitrary, and high-handed.”
No formal order for this action was issued by any competent authority such as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kathua or the Financial Commissioner (Revenue). Despite several written applications, personal visits, and interventions by the District Soldier Board, Kathua, the matter remains unresolved. Even repeated representations to the J&K Government’s Grievance Cell yielded no outcome.
In July 2023, the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) took cognizance of the case and directed the DC Kathua through letter No. 1230/FC-AP dated 13.07.2023 to take appropriate action and dispose of the officer’s pending applications within two months. However, more than two years have passed since then, and there has been no response or resolution from the DC office. The veteran continues to be denied ownership rights to the land that remains boundary-walled and in his possession to this day.
Colonel Pathania expressed shock that a senior retired Army officer, now in his late seventies, has had to endure years of bureaucratic neglect despite his lawful ownership and continuous possession of the property. “It is heartbreaking that a soldier who devoted his life to safeguarding the nation’s borders is today fighting for justice within his own country’s administrative system,” he said.
He emphasized that such cases undermine the government’s public commitment to honour and protect the dignity of serving soldiers and veterans, a cause repeatedly upheld by the Hon’ble Prime Minister through his messages of respect and solidarity. “This case is not just about one veteran’s land, it is about the credibility of governance, transparency in the revenue system, and the moral responsibility of the administration towards those who have served the nation selflessly,” Pathania added.
The Sainik Samaj Party has urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally intervene in the matter and direct the Secretary Revenue and DC Kathua to immediately restore ownership rights to Colonel Mohan Singh. Pathania also appealed to the Director, Rajya Sainik Board, to take up the case with the Home Department for early consideration by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor.
