Srinagar, Mar 23 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department (SED) has started collecting details of landowners who have donated their land to the department in the past to run Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) schools in the region.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the move is aimed at consolidating the list of the donors and will be compensated by the government after proper categorization of the land donated to the Education Department.
Under the process, the department will also ensure that the land donated is being utilized only for the intended purpose of running SSA schools only.
The department has directed all the district-level officials to compile a comprehensive list of all the landowners who have donated their land for SSA schools in the past.
"We are consolidating the details of all the cases who have provided the land to the department in past to run SSA schools. The list has been framed at Zonal level and has been submitted to the administrative department," a top official told KNO.
The government's decision to collect information about the land donors comes in the wake of reports of misuse of such lands.
The authorities have received complaints that some individuals have encroached upon the donated lands and are using them for commercial purposes.
"Under the process it will be also seen if the land donated to the department is being utilised for the same purpose for which it was collected," the official said.
The erstwhile SSA is a flagship programme of the Government of India aimed at providing elementary education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years. The programme was launched in Jammu and Kashmir in 2001, and since then, several individuals have donated their lands for the construction of schools in the region.
The official said that some people have willfully donated their land to the department to make SSA school operational some 40 years ago and now their legal heirs claim that they were promised jobs against it, which cannot be entertained.
"We will make a plan how to compensate these land donors. We cannot guarantee jobs to all of them but we will categorise them and further decision will be taken accordingly," the official said.
He said the individuals who provided their houses or rooms to run the SSA schools at the launch of the scheme at the launch of SSS rented schools, will not qualify for the compensation.
"A rent was fixed for them which was paid to them against the building. In case there is any liability we will clear that," the official said.
The official, however, said any individual asked by the then ZEO or CEO to provide some Kanals of land and was assured of a government job, such cases will be considered on priority—(KNO)