The Member of Parliament from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Wednesday raised concerns over the construction of two new railway lines in Kashmir and demanded Social Impact Assessment for both projects.
The NC MP also stated that projects are in violation of the Land Acquisition Act 2013, which mandates formal public notice and a social impact assessment before starting any project.
During the debate on the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Parliament, he said that the two railway lines being assessed are from Awantipora to Shopian, which involves Pulwama district, and from Anantnag to Pahalgam.
He said that these assessments were being conducted in these areas without prior notice or any social impact evaluation.
He highlighted the social impact of the projects and said that they would affect approximately 288 hectares of land, much of which is used for horticulture. “A Social Impact Assessment was supposed to be conducted for these projects but that was not done. We also don’t know why these projects have been taken up,” Mehdi said that once he would come to know the need for these projects, prior notice should be given to the people who would be affected. “A Social Impact Assessment should be conducted as well for both the projects,” he said and sought immediate intervention of the Union Railway Minister.
He said that Horticulture provides employment to 3.5 million people in Kashmir, or about 23% of the population.
Ruhullah also said that the land being impacted is crucial for the region’s economy, as it involves orchards and agricultural land. “The land being impacted is crucial for the region’s economy, as it involves orchards and agricultural land. I also fail to understand whose demand it was. When I asked the people who came out to protest to save their fields and agricultural land, I found out that there was no local demand for this project,” he said.
He said that the local population had not requested the lines as they would negatively affect their environment, livelihoods, and income, particularly from horticulture.
Aga Ruhullah also said that the average income of families with orchards in the region is around 15 lakhs in some cases. He criticized the lack of consultation with the affected communities, stating that the survey for the railway lines was being conducted without addressing local concerns.
He called for clarity on the necessity of these lines, asking the Minister for Railways to explain the purpose behind the project.
“If the railway lines were being constructed for a legitimate purpose, the legal requirements for public notice and social impact assessment should have been fulfilled,” he said, adding that these steps were ignored, violating the law.
Aga Ruhullah further compared the project to a “colonial project” due to its disregard for democratic processes, public consultation, and local needs.
He urged the government to address the concerns of those whose agricultural and horticultural lands are being impacted by the project—(KNO)
