Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 8: The Government today said it is planning to set up nearly a dozen townships at various places, including the twin capital cities, to check unplanned urban expansion and meet the housing needs of people.
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This information was given by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Assembly to a question raised by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Parra. The reply was, however, read by Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo, who also replied to supplementaries.
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Itoo said the Srinagar Development Authority has identified State land along the National Highway in Bemina Bypasss and the Jammu Development Authority has identified land at Sidhra for catering to the housing needs of the people of the Union Territory.
In addition, 1,298.28 kanals of land has been identified for the establishment of nine townships at Padgampura in Pulwama, Watapora in Bandipora, Changran in Kathua, Bakoora in Ganderbal, Kanuyian in Poonch, Chatterhama in Srinagar and Bhalwal, Chakbhalwal and Chowadhi in Jammu.
Thirty kanals land has been identified at Padgampura (Pulwama), 200 kanals at Watapora (Bandipora), 85 kanals at Bhalwal (Jammu), 81.48 kanals at Chnagrah (Kathua), 353.35 kanals at Chatterhama (Srinagar), 214 at Bakoora (Ganderbal), 248.65 at Chak Bhalwal (Jammu), 69 kanals at Chowdhai (Jammu) and 16. 80 kanals at Kanuyian( Poonch).
In his supplementary, Parra expressed concern over the utilization of wetland for raising infrastructure post the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019 and demanded an environment assessment of all the township projects.
“The 4,200 kanals of land near Bemina identified for housing is wetland. We are already facing a climate crisis because of large-scale devastation and destruction due to land, soil and sand mining over the past five years. The future looks very dark and grim if the right steps are not taken,” the PDP leader said.
“All ecological issues shall be taken into consideration while undertaking any construction,” the Minister said, adding that the details of the beneficiaries shall be determined after the formulation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
Asking supplementary questions, Parra said that the idea of township is scary and fuels fears of demographic engineering and environmental disasters.
“The Government should come clear on the definition of people of Jammu and Kashmir as it is very vague,” he said.
Parra said the Government’s admission about setting up satellite townships is contrary to the CM’s earlier statement that no proposal for satellite townships is under consideration.
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