STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday rejected a private member’s bill seeking to recognise the proprietary rights of houses constructed on government land illegally, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah saying such a bill would open floodgates for land grab.
The Bill was moved by PDP MLA from Pulwama, Waheed Para.
“A bill to provide special provisions for residents of UT of J-K for recognizing the proprietary rights of houses constructed on State land, Kacharia land, Common land and Shamilat land (section 4 of J-K Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976), by securing the rights of ownership or transfer in favour of the residents of such residential house owners, who are in possession of such land in the interest of right to shelter as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto,” the bill said.
However, the government opposed the bill and requested Para to withdraw it.
“On the surface, it looks easy. If someone has constructed a house on government land, give the land to him. Last time also, the government made a scheme to convert leasehold into freehold which was known as Roshni (scheme). The aim was to grant freehold to those who had leasehold before militancy. The revenue generated would have been used for power generation,” Abdullah said.
He said the then PDP-Congress coalition government removed the pre-militancy clause.
“There was a controversy and there was talk of ‘land jehad’ and what not. It went to court and we could not defend it there. This proposal of the MLA is beyond the Roshni scheme. The bill does not put a cut-off timeline. We cannot do this. There is a provision of granting land to the landless people under PMAY. So, I request the member to withdraw the bill,” the CM said.
However, Para said while the state land is being allotted, if “you are willing to give land to landless and house to houseless under the PMAY, will you render homeless those who are already not referred to the recruitment agencies.
She said, “1500 posts were frozen by them. The education department was on the verge of being defunct. I am thankful to chief minister (Omar Abdullah) for de-freezing 50 per cent posts”.
“They should tell us where they have brought the education department,” Itoo said, pointing to the BJP.
The House then returned to normal business.