Excelsior Correspondent
CHENANI, Jan 22: Urging upon the Govt to make public the names of influential persons including Ex-Ministers/MLAs/ MLCs/MPs who encroached State lands/ Forest lands etc, Harsh Dev Singh, former Minister and Chairman AAP J&K SCC, has sought exemplary punishment to all those who abused their position and authority to illegally usurp such lands and then get them regularized through their political clout.
He further said that instructions were required to be issued at all levels to ensure that the poor, marginalized and other landless were not harassed in conformity with the assurances given by the LG while the big fish who had illegally encroached huge chunks of Govt lands needed to be booked and stringent exemplary action taken against them.
Addressing a public meeting in village Narsu of Chenani constituency today, Harsh Dev Singh said that the poor people were solely dependent for their survival upon their existing land holdings and evicting them would deprive them of their right to livelihood as guaranteed to them under the Constitution.
Launching a scathing attack on the present Govt for its double standards in allowing BJP leadership to illegally retain Govt premises while issuing eviction notices to poor farmers, Singh said that such reckless moves and misadventurism of the Govt had completely unravelled its reputation.
“Not only were the names of BJP leaders kept secret while allowing them to remain in occupation of such encroached lands and public premises but they are also being provided all facilities in the Govt bungalows, illegally retained by them, at tax-payers’ expense. Such a practice is not only indicative of the duplicitous character of the present regime but also provides the most glaring example of patronized corruption in the UT of J&K,” he said.
Pointing towards the peculiar problems of the area, Singh sought immediate initiation of work of Narsu–Chirdi Water Supply Scheme (WSS) under Jal Jeevan Mission in view of acute water scarcity problem in the area. He sought early construction of bridges and culverts on Narsu–Thani Dhar road. He called for opening of ration depots in Kither Chirdi and Ladha panchayats wherefrom the people had to tread 8-10 kms on foot to collect their subsidized rations from the nearest depots.
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