Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 15: In a major development that could lead to the expansion of Kashmir University’s South Campus in Anantnag, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Government’s proposal for vacating nearly 458 kanals of land in Army’s possession for expansion of Kashmir University that was facing shortage of space.
Highly-placed sources said the Prime Minister, after his return from the five-nation tour, had called a meeting on Kashmir during which he asked the Defence Ministry to hand over the ‘High Ground’ in Anantnag to the State at the earliest so that the expansion plan of South Campus of Kashmir University can be carried out.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister said the Centre was committed to all-round improvement of education in the State, official sources said.
The Army had in-principle been agreeable to vacating the land for quite sometime but a decision by its headquarters got delayed. A senior professor at the South campus said that last year former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, visited the Campus twice and he was keen that the land be transferred to the Kashmir University.
The latest deadline for vacating the land was March 31 which was agreed upon during a meeting early this year chaired by State Governor N N Vohra but Army was waiting for final clearance.
The Army holds nearly 2005.24 kanals of land in Anantnag district since early 1990s. Around 690 kanals of land that was meant for developing a residential colony was acquired by the House Board but it was occupied by Army in early 1990s. They had already developed parks and roads in the area when Army took it over.
The land is adjacent to South Campus in Fatehgarh area near an army camp. It was being used by the Army for landing helicopters despite the force having a similar facility at Khanabal, a few kilometres from there. 346.7 Kanals of land, which was earlier in the Army’s possession, was transferred to the university in 2004 when the Campus was established by former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The Dean Academic Professor Mohammad Ashraf described the clearance for vacation of land as a great achievement. “It was already meant for South Campus. It is good that it has been vacated as the Campus was facing space shortage”, he said.
Two years ago when Omar Abdullah was Chief Minister, Army handed over Tosamaidan firing range to the Government for developing it as tourist place after its lease expired. Army also handed over land at Batamaloo and Pantha Chowk in Srinagar recently for developing civic amenities.
Army has provided timely clearances to infrastructure development projects like Haft Chinar flyover, road projects under NHAI, BEACON and PMGSY, especially in border areas. Army has also agreed to vacate the Lower Plateau in Kargil at the request of the civil administration.
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