People across Kashmir hail anti-encroachment drive against land grabbers mafia.

Khursheed Ahmad

SRINAGAR: The local population across Jammu and Kashmir has praised Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for taking stern action against the encroachers.
The locales have not only praised the Jammu and Kashmir governments but have also called for a continuous anti-encroachment drive till the last land stands were retrieved. Last month, the Jammu and Kashmir government called for an anti-encroachment drive across the Union Territory.
The directions were passed to Deputy Commissioners, who were told to retrieve the State land, including Roshni and Kahcharai.
Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had said only influential and powerful people who misused their position and violated the law to encroach upon the state’s land would face the law of the land at all.
Also, the Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta remarked that the encroached State land is being retrieved from the big vested interests only with the purpose of reverting it back for public use.
We highly appreciate the Jammu and Kashmir governments for what they are doing. It is the first time, the Jammu and Kashmir government has worked for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir on a big scale, Majid Bhat, a resident of Khanyar Srinagar said.
Adding that he said, “If you look at the amount of land that has been retrieved, it clearly shows that these leaders and influential people for years took advantage and deprived poor people of development”
People need to understand that Islam too does not allow you to encroaching land. But, people here I Jammu and Kashmir did not bothered about religion as well and kept occupying the State Land, said Noman Khan, a resident of Anantnag.
We cannot thank LG Manoj Sinha enough for his dedication and efforts to retrieve the land from encroachers, he said. Adding that Majid said, “The government has promised that the retrieved land will be used for the welfare of the local population, in that case, we expect schools, colleges, hospitals and parks”.
When the anti-encroachment drive began last month, there were apprehensions that poor people will be affected, but the way, the situation has been handled is just incredible. I can proudly say that no poor person was affected during the anti-encroachment drive, said Shazia Malik, a resident of Ganderbal.
We expect the anti-encroachment to be more tough and more stern. More importantly, through the anti-encroachment drive, it was clearly proven that leaders of Jammu and Kashmir took advantage of the power and grabbed the state land, she said.