Anti-encroachment drive intensifies in Jammu and Kashmir; LG assures 'no harm to common man'
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha assured that "only influential and powerful people who misuse their position and violated the law to encroach upon the state land" would face action.
FollowThe anti-encroachment drive by the Jammu and Kashmir administration intensified on Saturday (February 4) as the land illegally occupied by "influential persons" was retrieved at many places in the Valley. Several political parties have demanded that the poor be spared eviction.
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha assured that "only influential and powerful people who misuse their position and violated the law to encroach upon the state land" would face action.
On Saturday, encroachments were reportedly removed from many places in Srinagar including at Humhama, Peerbagh, Padshahibagh, Nishat and Chattabal.
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At Humhama, state land was freed from the occupation of former director (information) Farooq Renzu Shah. The outer wall of a house belonging to Shah was demolished and about one kanal of state land was retrieved from his possession, the officials said.
"I support the rule of law, but the government should implement the rule of law without fearing the influential people, and not target only one or two of them," Shah said.
In another such action in Srinagar, the authorities demolished the outer wall and gate of the residential house belonging to advocate Shabnum Lone, who is the sister of Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone.
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The outer wall of Shabnum Lone's residence in the KralSangri Nishat area on the city outskirts was demolished by a team of the Revenue Department, Srinagar, to reclaim state/Kacharai land under Khasra no 3557 from her occupation, the officials said.
In the Chattabal area of the city, the authorities sealed a shopping complex claiming it was built on State land. However, advocate Shoaib Zahoor, owners of the property, said the particular chunk of land was allotted to them by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) through an open auction in 2004.
The eviction drive was also carried out in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir. "The district administration of Anantnag conducted massive anti-encroachment operations against various stone crushers operating from State/Kahcharai lands," an official said.
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A total of 50 kanals of land was retrieved which lies at a short distance from NH44 Srinagar-Jammu National Highway -- and is valued in excess of Rs 20 crore. The officials said the crushers have been given a week to remove the machinery from the spot failing which the machinery will also be seized.
Meanwhile, Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded a formal order from the Raj Bhavan to spare the poor in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. His party members took out a protest march from the party office at Sonwar and blocked the main road near Sonwar Chowk.
(With inputs from PTI)
