Amit Shah assures no small land holders will be harassed in J&K

Even as the eviction drives continued unabated in both regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the union home minister has assured former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad that small land holders will not be harassed.

Last month the UT administration had issued a circular asking all deputy commissioners to remove encroachment on state lands by January 31.
With evection drives continued throughout the days at various districts in J&K, the aggrieved people continued their protests at different places today. Locals continued their protests in Kunjwani- Bhatindi area on the outskirts of Jammu city for the fourth successive day against the eviction notices.

During eviction drives, 1841 state and Roshni land was retrieved in Kathua, 1294 kanal in Ramban, 290 kanal in Jammu. The administration in Qazigund also retrieved encroached land from kin of former Forest Minister and Senior NC Leader, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah.

Infact few days back even Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has clarified that only influential and powerful people who misused their position to encroach upon the State land would be evicted in the Union Territory.

Moreover even the Chief Secretary chief secretary Arun Kumar Mehta today directed the Deputy Commissioners to safeguard the habitations and livelihoods of poor and downtrodden.

However couple of days back Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the evection circular, saying that if it grants their prayer, it will have larger repercussions on encroachments in other parts of the UT.

Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has requested the Home Minister that the majority of occupants who are holding small lands and have constructed houses for the last few decades are migrants and are mostly victims of militancy, as well as victims of abnormal situations arisen from time to time, being a border state.

The origin of these shelters/residential houses on state-kacharai and Roshni lands appears to have taken place first in 1947 and then in the 1962 & 1971 war period, and subsequently during the post militancy period.

Azad requested the home minister that at least poor people having small holdings of land and houses should be spared from the eviction drive. This is also a fact that the governments provided road connectivity, supply of water and electricity, schools, anganwadi centres and other welfare schemes including health related facilities to these houses from time to time which implicitly indicates that successive state governments in a way have recognized these constructions.

He was speaking in a meeting of UT, Divisional and District Administration to take stock of measures being taken to streamline the anti-encroachment drive.

Chief secretary today remarked that the encroached State land is being retrieved from the big vested interests only with the purpose of reverting it back for public use.

He maintained that these measures are aimed at helping common people and observed that this land belongs collectively to the masses and retrieved land shall be used for the benefit of all of them. He stated that no person has any legal right to usurp the rights of commoners.

He pointed out that such measures should be supported by the public as the retrieved and shall be used for public utility such as hospitals, schools, play grounds, bus stands, Industries, parking spaces etc. It shall accelerate all round development in J&K.

The Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners to safeguard the habitations and livelihoods of poor and downtrodden. He enjoined upon them to develop DPRs for carrying out developmental works on such lands at the earliest so that fruits of these efforts reach the masses.

He stated that some people are voluntarily giving up the encroached lands. He told them to set an example for others and give in writing their testimonies.

The Chief Secretary also directed the IT Department to create a dedicated portal for reflecting the actual quantum of State/ Kacharie/Common land retrieved in all the districts is put in public domain for their information. He advised the Revenue Department to carryout Geo-referencing of these public assets so that the same is preserved for the public without ambiguity.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I) today that there is no transparency in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive launched by the government. Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) leader and incumbent Corporator, Salman Sagar said that the anti-encroachment drive launched by the government is a political vendetta and said that the Kashmiris will never forget those who are behind the drive.

J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina while welcoming the land eviction drive said the ordinary people who do not possess much land and are poor should not be made to suffer under the drive. He alleged that land grabbers are provoking the people to come on the roads against the drive to save their skin.

The National Conference and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also demanded an immediate end to the drive, while J&K BJP requested the Lt Governor-led administration to restrict the campaign to politicians, police officers and bureaucrats who have “misused” their power in the past to grab the land. BJP leader Altaf Thakur today said “Baba ka bulldozer” will remove encroachments by influential people on Government land but will not bother poor people.

Meanwhile, members of Jammu Kashmir Kissan Tehreek led by senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami staged a protest in Kathua district town against the eviction drive.

“The land in question is under the occupation of people for generations and there is no justification in the eviction drive which is just to harass the public and deviate their attention from the real issues like statehood, elections, inflation and unemployment,” Tarigami alleged.

Former minister Harsh Dev Singh regretted that the indigent farmers, labourers and other landless people were being dispossessed of their marginal land holdings despite the assurances of the Lt Governor, thereby creating massive public uproar and resultant disenchantment with the present regime.