Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 24: Questioning the allotment of JDA’s prime land at Railway Station Jammu to a private party by the Government, Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP Chairman and former Minister has sought a high level probe into all such allotments of Government lands made by the incumbent Government in the past.
He said, on the one hand, poor, landless and indigent masses having raised their Kachha houses over small strips of the State land were being harassed, intimidated with eviction proceedings launched against them, and on the other hand, the rich and the influential were being allotted prime lands by throwing all norms and procedures to the winds.
He said this while addressing media persons in Jammu.
Harsh said that not only had the local traders in the vicinity of Railway Station Jammu held protests against the irregular allotment but several fingers were being raised at the Housing and Urban Development Department for allowing construction of several dozens of private shops at Railway Station in violation of the policy as well as the Master plan.
Seeking an explanation from the Housing and Urban Development Minister for such an egregious order, Singh pointed out that the land in question earlier belonged to the Irrigation Department and transferred a couple of years back to JDA on the requisition made by the latter.
He revealed that the JDA had taken over the land for beautification of the area and its decongestion by constructing link road, adding that after taking over the said land, the JDA had also attempted construction of commercial complex in the area which was opposed by the local people and ultimately abandoned.
He said that grant of present by the H&UD Department in the present Government to a private party to construct around 50 shops, as reported by the localities defied logic thus making the Minister concerned answerable to the people.
Seeking the indulgence of the Chief Minister into the allotments, Singh called for a probe into the whole gamut of allotments and occupations of the Government lands in the state including JDA lands, Housing Board lands, State lands, Forest lands etc by a high powered committee.
He said that the big fish was required to be dislodged in the first instance by evicting the mighty and privileged, politicians and bureaucrats and by cancelling all irregular allotments made in their favour in the past.
Gagan Pratap Singh, State Secretary JKNPP was also present on the occasion.
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