Ayodhya (UP), May 3 (IANS) People keen on buying land in Ayodhya have been cautioned against fraud by government officials.

The state revenue department has put out a list of eight Survey Villages that are situated along the banks of the Saryu river and have been exploited in the past by land sharks.

The advisory has been issued as recently an application for the change of ownership filed by Vyakti Vikas Kendra Trust (founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) through mutation of the land title, was rejected by a local court.

An individual from Paharganj, Ayodhya had forged documents and cheated the Trust to the tune of Rs 10 crore. The deal between the two parties was brokered more than five years ago, and the Trust, at that time, had paid close to Rs 10 crore to the conman.

However, once the application to change the title of the land was forwarded to the court of the assistant record officer, the set of documents that were submitted were examined and the chain of title was ascertained.

On coming across anomalies, the court rejected the application.

"Recommendation to initiate action against the revenue officials concerned has been taken. They are the ones who have been instrumental in duping the investors. Multiple FIRs have been lodged against the culprits. However, the Aadhaar card of the culprit also has wrong address details," said a senior administrative officer from Ayodhya.

With Ayodhya all set to emerge as a major tourist and spiritual destination in the coming years, owing to rapid development work in the temple town, land sharks have been active to exploit the benefits of the increasing land demand.

As a result, scores of unauthorised plotting schemes have mushroomed in the holy city.

Vice-chairman of the Ayodhya development authority, Vishal Singh, said that during the past one year, notices have been issued to owners of 35 land parcels where private plotting schemes have come up without due procedure and permission.

"We have also razed the structures that have been constructed within 14 such schemes. One commercial complex was also demolished. Action against the remaining ones will be initiated once local body polls get over," said Singh.

Meanwhile, the list of eight villages in Ayodhya that are situated along the Saryu river include Manjha Jamthara, Manjha Mirapur, Manjha Baratha, Rampur Halwara among others.

Senior administrative officer Ram Kumar Shukla said that the survey village and revenue village have different status and the land records for any transaction being done within the survey villages need to be verified with the local Lekhpal.

"Records of survey villages are not available online and hence higher chances of duping people who are unaware of the procedure exist while doing such transactions," said Shukla.

--IANS

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