Srinagar, Nov 4, KNT: At a time when Jammu and Kashmir government sought to allay fears of demographic change by stating that the major chunk of the land here which is used for agricultural purposes would be reserved for sale only to the local residents, Awami National Conference like any other political party has termed the government clarification a ‘foundation of lies’ and urged upon people to resist the new land laws that are an attempt to rob people of Jammu and Kashmir of their land.
Awami National Conference spokesperson in a statement to KNT said that under Article 133 it has clearly been mentioned that any non-local or homeless can be given agricultural land for residential purpose. “Government is resorting to bunch of lies and it can’t befool people anymore. It is a fact that Government of India has put Jammu and Kashmir on sale and the intentions of the government are dubious and people don’t trust the current dispensation,” the spokesperson said.
“The protections on the sale of agricultural land are more stringent in the Jammu and Kashmir Land Alienation Act which has now been repealed by the government. Under the law, the alienation of land by way of sale or mortgage was strictly prohibited to the non-state residents and there was a restriction that only a designated portion of the land could have been alienated. The Land Alienation Act was framed essentially to raise loans against the mortgage of the land to local financial institutions to improve agricultural productivity,” the spokesperson said adding that many of the laws that the government described as regressive “were progressive in nature”.
The ANC Spokesperson appealed people and political parties to reject these laws at an earliest as these will have horrible consequences. (KNT)
