The District Development Council Ramban has unanimously adopted a resolution to oppose the Manoj Sinha-led Administration’s order to vacate “occupants” from the state land.
A copy of the resolution, accessed by The Kashmiriyat, stated that the DDC Ramban unanimously passed a resolution with an appeal to the Lt. Governor to issue directions to the concerned authorities for preventing any adverse action which is detrimental to the farmers/landless people residing in villages and are wholly and solely dependent on the state land which they were occupying since decades.
The DDC members, in their resolution, said, “Simply branding the occupants as land grabbers is not only unjustified but misleading as well. The historical aspect needs to be taken into consideration while deciding about such sensitive issues upon which the people have built the whole edifice of their lives and spent their hard-earned money over the years in constructing a shelter for their families.”
“The admin must prevent revenue authorities from demolishing or damaging all kinds of properties mentioned above. Also frame a policy to give ownerships to such occupants by charging reasonable amount depending upon the paying capacity,” read the resolution.
To kindly frame policy by which those who have constructed houses on the above-mentioned lands are regularised by paying nominal developmental charges on the pattern already adopted in regularizing various colonies in Jammu and Srinagar cities and other municipal areas, the DDC said.
Here is the full text of the resolution passed by DDC Ramban
As you are aware that the entire population of Jammu Kashmir is protesting against an order issued by the Commissioner Secretary Revenue regarding the eviction of state land forest land /kahchari land. This whole issue of eviction needs to be considered in historical perspective. Simply branding the occupants as land grabbers is not only unjustified but misleading as well. The historical aspect needs to be taken into consideration while deciding about such sensitive issues upon which the people have built the whole edifice of their lives and spent their hard earned money over the years in constructing shelter for their families. In view of the above the whole factual details are briefly given as under:-
The Jammu and Kashmir state was facing acute shortage of foodgrains even at the time of Maharaja Hari Singh. The Rationing of foodgrains was very unique to this part of the world. The Jammu food manual and Kashmir food manual are testimony to this fact. In order to improve the production of food grains locally, an order under GROW MORE FOOD was issued by the then Prime Minister Jnb. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in which the farmers were allowed to occupy all the cultivable land whether state or forest for growing food to meet the shortage of food grains. The land available in villages as well as in the adjoing municipal areas was given to the farmers/landless people. The ideal course of action would have been to confer such occupants with ownership rights. But no such action was taken by the successive govts. However, the occupants continued to cultivate the land with the consent of the government.
Those occupants holding land in the adjoining municipal areas started selling land in patches of 4 kannals, 2 kannals, I kannal, 10 marals and so on. Those who purchased this land and constructed houses on it were of different categories. The co category is of those people who were forced to settle in su due to threat of militancy.. police personnel, govt. c working on sensitive posts officers posted in Kashmir Va discharging law and order duty and those helping security forces in eliminating militants.
The above categories from any stretch of imagination can not be branded as land grabbers. This is rightly so because it was the duty of the government to provide the housing facilities in urban areas for those nationalist forces who at the cost of their lives worked for the state. On this background besides providing a window for getting.
On this background besides providing a window for getting ownership rights on such grounds under Government order LB/6 and $432, the government passed a legislation commonly known as ROSHNI ACT, by virtue of which the occupants mentioned above were asked to take advantage of the scheme by paying certain percentage of amount to the govt. Besides other categories, those who were occupying this land since decades, were given ownership rights. The occupants can not be held responsible for any purportedly faulty legislation.
Those Revenue Officers right from Financial Commissioner to lowest rung officers are testimony to the facts narrated above.Incase the government version is taken as a gospel truth, the entire responsibility for the situation through which the whole J&K passing, is of the successive govts., and the Officers at the helm of affairs. This aspect also needs serious thoughts.
Dr. Shamshad Shan Chairperson Distt Development Counc Distt. Ramban
Therefore in view of the above facts, the District Development
Council Ramban unanimously passed resolution with a request to the Lt. Governor to:- (a) Issue directions to the concerned authorities for preventing them any adverse action which is detrimental to the farmers/landless people residing in villages and are wholly and solely dependent on the state land which they were occupying since decades.
(b) To prevent revenue authorities from demolishing or damaging all kinds of properties mentioned above. Also frame a policy to give ownerships to such occupants by charging reasonable amount depending upon the paying capacity.
(e) To kindly frame policy by which those who have constructed houses on the above mentioned lands are regularised by paying nominal developmental charges on the pattern already adopted in regularizing various colonies in Jammu and Srinagar cities and other muncipal areas.