Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 26: The Upper House today witnessed pandemonium over the issue of conversion of agriculture land into commercial with the National Conference accusing its Opposition People’s Democratic Party member of being hand in glove with land mafia in this conversion.
Bashir Ahmad Veeri of NC today accused the PDP candidate for the forthcoming Assembly elections from Sonawari constituency Yasir Reshi of illegally converting agricultural land into non-agriculture with the help of land mafia.
While replying to a Calling Attention Notice by NC MLC Bashir Ahmed Veeri in the Legislative Council today of unauthorized conversion of agricultural land in Anantnag district, Minister for Revenue Aijaz Ahmad Khan admitted that agriculture land was being converted into non-agriculture purposes to carry out commercial activities.
Khan said that in view of the developmental activities like construction of roads, bridges, acquisition of land for Railways and other public purposes, lot of unavoidable conversion has taken place during the last few years.
He said there is a provision under the J&K Agrarian Reforms Act for conversion of land for construction of residential houses upto 2 Kanals without seeking prior permission from the competent authority.
“Although, good quantum of agricultural land has been converted for non-agricultural purposes, however, all such conversions are not illegal because in a good number of cases, the permissions have been obtained from the competent authority for such conversions,” he said.
Unconvinced by the reply of the minster, Veeri rose on his feet and told the minister he was not contended by the reply as he had asked about conversion of agriculture land from Sangam to Khanabal in Anantnag district.
Veeri claimed that atleast 51 hectares of agriculture land worth Rs 1600 crores has been illegally converted into non-agriculture land.
“Revenue Department is giving permission for this conversion. And fertile land is sold for scraps,” he alleged.
While displaying some alleged documents of the Revenue Department, the NC MLC said he has names in it which indicate that the department has permitted the illegal conversion.
Seeing this, PDP legislatures Ashraf Mir and Syed Asgar Ali rose from their benches and asked Veeri to reveal the name in the house.
Veeri said the document mentions that one Yasir Reshi son of Mohammad Yousuf Reshi of Hilalabad, Sonawari, who is the candidate of a political party has illegally converted the land for non-agriculture purposes.
Irked by the revelation of Veeri, Mir said that he (Veeri) has mentioned the name of the candidate of our party and then we should know and see the documents.
To this NC MLC Davender Rana told the House that the Chairman of the LC should scrutinize the documents for veracity.
Later, Chairman of the LC Amrit Malhotra told Veeri that he should give me the documents to seek their clarification.
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