NC denounces proposed amendments to Building Operations Act
Says move aimed to change J&K into a military establishmet, undermine civilian authority
Srinagar, 18 July:(PTK)Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Saturday expressed shock and opposition to the amendments proposed by J&K govt to the control of building operations act 1988, and J&K development act 1970, saying the proposed amendments will undermine the civil authority and turn the entire region into a military establishment.
Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar while expressing dismay over the proposed amendments said that at a time when voices are being raised against the poor implementation of the cantonment act and construction rules across the country, we have a headless dispensation in J&K proposing to put more chunks of land under the control of security forces at the pretext of smooth construction for requirements of armed forces in such proposed notified areas. “We have Union defense ministry issuing orders every now and then under the WODA (works of defense act) Act of 1903 to impose restrictions upon the use of land in the vicinity of works of defense establishments all over the country. As such people living around such areas under go immense trepidation on one account or another due of the conflict between their increasing civilian needs with the security needs of forces,” he said.
The party spokesperson said as per the statement of former CM in Legislative Assembly in 2018, thousands of hectares of our land are already under the possesion of Army and other security forces. “The proposed amendment will add to the pool of land under the procession of army by cutting on the remaining arable and fertile land tracts available for agriculture activity. The strategic importance of J&K is not confined to certain areas; as such the entire region is strategically important. So by that analogy government will have a free hand to give as much land to security forces to be used by the later for any means, which the proposed amendment is totally ambiguous about. It could be anything ranging from colonies to special deployment of defense equipment. It seems the idea behind such a move is to create an army eatablishment in J&K,” he said.
In the years to come, many civilian chunks could overnight be converted into such proposed “strategic areas”, he said while referring to the proposed amendment as a remnant of a colonial era laws. “Such a notification can change a disposition of huge chunk of settlement over night; hamper their economic activities and other dynamics of day to day life. It seems that the government is on a mission of a major land grab strategy, where on one hand it has opened the flood gates for outsiders in local jobs, and on other hand it wants to fashion a mammoth that will continue eat on the land wherever it wants on the pretext of “strategic areas,” he said.
The proposed amendment, if it comes to force will drastically hit the prospects of tourism as well, he said. “If supposing our tourist destinations are declared as strategic areas, tourism development authorities would lose the power and will inevitably cease to exist. This will put employability of thousands of people drawing sustenance from such tourist spots in peril.”
“Under president’s rule, the J&K administration has already given up 243 hectares of forest land for army and paramilitary use, over 727 hectares of designated forest land was diverted between September 18 and October 21 by the former forest advisory committee FAC. The committee had also approved felling of 1847 trees that included 1471 in designated forest areas alone; one could well gauge the enormous destruction to our rich forest resources if the proposed amendments come into force. The amendment will circumvent the forest rules, regulation and with a stroke of pen have our natural resources obliterated that too in a fragile Himalayan ecosystem of ours. It will affect the wildlife also,” Imran said.
“The major, besides, affecting forest wealth, civilian established population and tourist destinations will push the economic activity of lakhs of tribals in jeopardy. They might end up losing access to huge chunks of Himalayan pastures to security grid as such a proposed strategic area might crop up in their Trans Himalayan migratory routes as well.”
He said the proposed amendment besides destroying fragile ecosystem will have direct bearing on the regions agriculture, energy and tourism sectors. “Such moves by the government speak volumes, it reveals what their priority is when COVID19 is raging. The move should not be seen in seclusion, it is a part of long term agenda of disenfranchising the people of J&K by grabbing their fertile, and economically viable land tracts, and natural resources. It will give military establishment an upper hand in the region by undermining civilian authority,” he said.
Mian Altaf grieved over loss to property in Kangan, seeks compensation for the affected
Masoodi anguished over death of two boys in drowning incident in Dadi canal
Srinagar, 18 July: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Senior leader and former minister Mian Altaf Ahmed on Saturday expressed grief over the unfortunate incident where in a four-storey residential house, 20 shops and a cow shed were completely damaged after a massive landslide in Bonibagh village of Kangan on Friday.
While expressing solodarity with the affected families and traders whose processions were destroyed in the incident, he said, “The incident created panic and chaos in the area. At least 20 shops, a residential house and a cowshed have got completely damaged, while as another residential house was partially damaged,” adding, “Fortunately no human loss has been reported in the incident. However the loss to property and vehicles has been immense which needs to be compensated on priority basis since people are already cash strapped in view of the prevailing crises. I also urge the local SDM to employ required men and machinery to clear the debris from the spot,” he said.
He impressed upon the administration to depute revenue teams to the spot and asess the losses to property at an earliest and provide recompense to the affected families without any delay.
Meanwhile party’s member of parliament Hasnain Masoodi has expressed grief and sorrow over the death of two boys in an unfortunate drowning incident in Dadi canal in Khiram area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday.
“I express my unison with the bereaved families and pray for strength to them in their hour of grief. The administration should take immediate steps to not allow such accidents from recurring,” he said. He prayed for peace to the departed and strength with the bereaved families on their inconsolable loss.
Kamal expresses concern over rising COVID19 cases
Calls government’s response to it a spectacular failure
Srinagar, 18 July: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Saturday said J&K administration has failed to control sprawl of COVID19 cases which is witnessing a steep rise in J&K particularly in Kashmir.
In a statement additional general secretary Sheikh Mustafa Kamal while expressing concern over the failure of administration on combating the viral infection said, “The negligence of the administration has given rise to new COVID-19 clusters by pushing people to queue up for domicile forms, class 4th jobs ignoring the COVID-19 protocol. The primary duty of the administration is to serve people; unfortunately in this part of the world it is the other way round. It goes without saying that J&K typifies dysfunctional anarchy. Administration has incontestably failed common people, the frontlines workers, the medics and ground staffers in their hour of need. It has failed on every conceivable matrix in its response to the prevailing crises.”
Kamal said the government’s response to the aftermath of previous lockdown has been a spectacular failure and it was again using the same failed strategy to cope up with the crises which has morphed into a dire one than what it was before.
On the issue of currrent uncertainity in the valley, Kamal said the ruling regime has no respect for the country’s commitments which it had made to the people of J&K, who had chosen a secular, diverse and democratic country sideling other prejudices.
“However the present dispensation instead of regarding the affinity of ideas guiding the relation between the people of J&k and New Delhi has chosen to disempower the people of J&k on every front. Far from winning the hearts and minds of people, New Delhi has again chosen to rub salt into the wounds of Kashmiris, which are so deep that even centuries of peace will not be enough to heal them. Every day we see them adding salt to the injuries, there has been no stop since 5th of August last year. All these years New Delhi has been vowing to protect the democratic rights of Kashmiris around the globe, but what was done on 5th of august and since then has given a ditch to all the commitments made by New Delhi since 1947,” he said.
