JAIPUR: Acting on the highly controversial and illegal land sales near the international border in Barmer district, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has ordered APO (Awaiting Posting Orders) for the SDM and Tehsildar of Ramsar involved in these dubious deals.
This significant move came after a high-level meeting on Monday night.
SDM Anil Kumar Jain has been accused of selling land in a restricted area of Barmer in December last year using forged documents. He allegedly manipulated records to execute power of attorney in the names of his family members and facilitated the registry of the land through fraudulent means.
Barmer MP Ummedaram Beniwal and Shiv (Barmer) MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati had previously accused SDM Jain of being “a puppet of companies” and facilitating land transactions in sensitive border areas.
On May 17, tensions escalated in Manihari village of Shiv, where a clash broke out between villagers, police, and the administration. The conflict arose when company workers reportedly attempted to forcibly install high-tension electric poles in a field.
When the affected family resisted, company representatives called the police. During the confrontation, SDM Anil Kumar Jain was allegedly seen manhandling a woman, which further fueled public outrage.
MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati condemned the incident and reiterated his allegations against Jain, stating that the SDM was complicit in corporate land dealings near the border. Reacting to the APO orders, Bhati remarked, “This is the result of the people’s struggle.”
In addition to the Ramsar officials, the Chief Minister also issued APOs to SDO Gulab Chand Verma and the Tehsildar of Raipur (Beawar) over administrative lapses. Just days earlier, the SPs of Jhunjhunu and Bikaner were APO-ed following reported security lapses during the Chief Minister’s visits.
Monday night’s video conference was attended by the Chief Minister along with the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), District Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, District Collectors, and Superintendents of Police. During the meeting, CM Sharma issued a stern message, stating that his government would pursue a policy of zero tolerance toward corruption.
The Chief Minister also reviewed key administrative issues including the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Garibi Mukt Gaon Yojana, the status of applications under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), pending disciplinary actions against staff, land allocation related to budget announcements, public grievance hearings, and the issue of illegal mining. He instructed officials to take necessary steps to ensure effective implementation.
Reiterating his stand, Chief Minister Sharma said, “Officers must be held accountable to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last person. Any negligence will not be tolerated.”