Banihal; Jan 19: Senior National Conference leader and district president Ramban Mir Sajjad Shaheen has appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor to adopt humane approach and withdraw the government circular about anti-encroachment drive on state land, roshni land, pasture land.
In a statement issued to Rising Kashmir, Shaheen expressed concern over the government’s move of divesting the people of the land registered under various titles in revenue records across Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the majority of land, described as State land by the administration, is being used by the poor and economically weaker sections of society and are mainly using it for agricultural purposes or at the most for shelter.
Shaheen said that it is unfortunate that the government has ordered to get all the encroachments on State land removed by January 31, 2023 which is against the principles of justice as the poor people have invested in such land only to live and sustain.
He further said that “the government has mobilised all its machinery to dispossess the poor of the land registered as kahchairi, shamilat and so on. After the BJP-led dispensation ended the special constitutional status of J&K, the government introduced a new set of land laws to prod outsiders into investing in the region, which had kicked up fears among the people about losing their land to the non-locals and now their fears are coming true,” he said.
Shaheen demanded putting an immediate halt on forcible land acquisition and immediate withdrawal of the anti people recent order as the move is not only bound to render thousands of people roofless, but also divests many cultivation rights.
