Srinagar: The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday made explosive claims that the Omar Abdullah-led government in Jammu and Kashmir is proposing to construct 30 satellite townships in the Kashmir Valley for which land is being acquired along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
Chief Spokesperson of the party Mehboob Beg said that the government was proposing to construct 30 satellite townships on thousands of kanals of agriculture and horticulture land along the under-construction Ring Road from Galender in Pulwama district to Narbal in the outskirts of Srinagar.
The Ring Road, which has been under construction for the last three years from Galender in Pulwama district to Narbal in the Srinagar outskirts, will connect the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway from Pulwama district to the Ladakh highway in Ganderbal district. The road skirts through the Budgam district and reaches Ganderbal district to finally connect with the Leh-Srinagar Highway.
Beg said the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board was proposing to develop these satellite townships on both sides of the Ring Road. He said the government is acquiring 200 hectares of land (4000 kanals) for each township, and this land is agriculture and horticulture land from which farmers earn their livelihood.
“The first lot of land of farmers was taken away during the lieutenant governor; now the elected government led by Omar Abdullah must listen to the people and clear to the people of Kashmir for which these satellite townships are being built and adequately compensate the farmers whose land is being acquired,” Beg said in a press conference.
“People have given a massive mandate to the National Conference. They must reply to the people, clear their apprehensions about the proposed townships about who will live in these satellites, and increase the compensation of the farmers,” he said.
He said that in the last years, the LG administration has taken a lot of land from farmers for the construction of several ring roads, and now the land is being acquired for townships about which there are apprehensions.
“Are these townships for the domiciles of Jammu and Kashmir? Who are the people for whom these townships are being built?” he asked.
He said agriculture and horticulture are the backbone of the Kashmir economy, and when the government is taking away the land from farmers for meagre compensations, it will make farmers landless.
“This violates the laws of land use and agrarian laws. Farmers will become landless. As per a survey, within five years, farmers will become landless due to the shrinking of the land,” he said.
The Omar Abdullah government is yet to respond to the explosive claims of the PDP.
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