Diplomat Correspondent
JAMMU,DD: National Conference Additional General Secretary and Former Minister Mr. Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, today expressed hope that the people centric government led by Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah will take earnest measures to waive the change of land use (CLU) criteria for the sale of very small land plots intended for house construction in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a public meeting at Marh Bagh in Marh Assembly Constituency which was organized by Sardar Jasbir Singh (Raju) and Charanjeet Singh Block Presidents, this afternoon, Mr. Sadhotra referred to the severe financial distress
faced by the people of J&K over the past decade due to prolonged mis- governance and economic hardships and said that poverty has forced many
families to sell parts of their land holdings to finance their children’s education to
meet essential medical and marriage expenses of their children. However, existing land laws prevent such transactions due to restrictions on land use
change, which is also detrimental to the growth of housing sector, he added.
Mr Sadhotra said that many land places that are no longer under cultivation due to reasons such as the expansion of municipal limits – cannot be sold due to the requirement of a change in land use. This restriction has become a major obstacle
to the housing sector, as landowners are unable to obtain Farads (Revenue Records) due to these regulations, preventing them from legally selling their land, he elaborated.
The National Conference Additional General Secretary said that since the housing
needs of the people have increased manifold in recent years due to population growth and increase in the family sizes, the owners cannot use their rightful lands for the construction purposes due to stringent land use regulations and hence the
waiver has become all the more imperative.
Hoping for immediate action, Mr. Sadhotra assured that he will seek intervention of Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah to review and relax the restrictive land regulations so that small landowners are not deprived of their right to sell their properties for legitimate purposes such as housing and financial sustenance.
He reiterated the Party’s commitment to standing by the underprivileged sections of society and ensuring policies that promote social and economic justice. He expressed confidence that the government would take urgent measures to address this pressing issue in the larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Conference Additional General Secretary also expressed concern over the delay in compensation to farmers whose land has been acquired for the Jammu Ring Road and sought its early release to save them from taking the
recourse of judicial intervention.
Mr. Sadhotra reaffirmed that the National Conference (NC) has always been a
pro-people and pro-farmer party, a fact demonstrated by the pioneering and
revolutionary Land Reforms Act introduced by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. This historic legislation empowered the poor and downtrodden by granting them ownership of the lands they had tilled for generations, transforming them into
rightful masters of their holdings. Sardar Jasbir Singh Raju was appointed Block Vice President.
Others who spoke on the occasion are Ghar Singh Joint Secretary Jammu Province, Ch Naresh Kumar Bittu District President Jammu Rural, Raghubir Singh Manhas District President, Baru Ram Bhagat Ex-Sarpanch District Vice President,
Randhir Singh Chib District Secretary, Piar Singh Ex-Sarpanch, Subedar Ghasita Ram Ex-Sarpanch, Bishan Dass Bhagat Ex-Sarpanch Block President, Rameshwar Sharma, Jagdish Raj Sharma, Raghav Singh Bhau, Aman Singh Manhas, Devi Dyal
Bhagat Ex-Ranger, Ch Keemat Lal Ex-Sarpanch, S Surjeet Singh.DD
