People want proprietary rights of Custodian property
Govind Sharma
JAMMU: Taking long drawn struggle of occupants of Custodian Department’s property to the logical end would be a major challenge for the newly elected Corporator of Ward Number 23 as people have high hopes that their representative would vociferously raise their issue at every forum and get the same resolved. Moreover, they want the Corporator to leave no stone unturned to get the area rid of the menace of drugs.
Around 85 percent population of Ward No 23 resides in Custodian Department houses or are holding Custodian land during the past several decades but their demand of giving them proprietary rights has not been considered till date despite numerous representations to the concerned authorities in this regard.
“Among us there are a large number of PoK refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971 who were displaced during three wars with Pakistan; they genuinely deserve the “proprietary rights” on these houses and land which they are maintaining for the last over three to four generations and have already paid a huge sum as rent to the Custodian Department”, the residents said while interacting with this Correspondent.
“Most of the houses are in wobbly condition but neither the Custodian Department repairs the same nor gives us permission to carry out repair work on our own. Many houses are still ‘Kuccha’ in Nai Basti area but being custodian properties, one cannot undertake construction activities and raise a ‘pacca’ house”, Ajay Sharma of Rampura said.
People of the Ward, which mainly comprised of Ashok Nagar, Nai Basti, Hajipur, Rampura, Patel Nagar and other areas, also expressed their resentment over increasing drug menace in the area. “Selling and consuming of narcotics drugs has increased manifold in last over one decade due to the nexus between police and drug mafia and unemployed youth of the area are becoming victim to this menace”, Neeraj of Nai Basti said.
“The issue of illegal activities of drug mafia was brought to the notice of police authorities a number of times but it seems that they are not ready to eradicate the menace…….rather they are encouraging the mafia by not acting against them”, people of the area said while wishing anonymity to avoid harassment from the police personnel.
Besides, poor sanitation is another big problem which the people of the area are facing. “Many houses are still ‘Kuccha’ in Nai Basti area and some residents still don’t have toilets in their houses although much hype is being created by the concerned authorities under Swachh Bharat Mission”, Sanjeev Kumar of Ashok Nagar said, adding “there is no proper sewerage system due to which drains remain choked and water overflows from them during Monsoon”.
Pawan Singh, who won Corporation election on the BJP mandate from the area for the second time, said that to check drug menace in the Ward is his topmost priority and he will leave no stone unturned to save the youth of his ward from this menace.
“I have a vision of making my Ward a Model Ward where there will be proper sewerage system, good lanes and drains, proper cleanliness, clean canals and toilet in every house”, he said, adding “I have already started working on this”.
The Corporator said as there is so much urban poor population in his Ward, he would make more Rehri zones and a vegetable market in the area, so that these poor people may earn their livelihood by selling vegetables, fruits and other food items.
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