Amid the controversy over the “land for homeless scheme”, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday hit at the politicians opposing it, saying they were misleading the people.
Without naming any politician, Sinha said that those who have built their houses and their relatives’ houses on government land feel that they only have the right to the government property.
“J&K Government is dedicated to serve the poor section of society. It is providing land to landless citizens who were ignored in the past. They are eligible under PMAY (G) and will soon have their own house,” Sinha said while addressing the National Tribal Festival at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.
He said the decision has caused pain to some who are misleading people.
“Those who have built their houses, and their relatives’ houses on government land, feel only they have the right to the government property and poor people should be stopped from using the government property,”
He said that those opposing the government move should know that such discriminatory system was abolished on August 5, 2019.
“They must understand that such discriminatory system was abolished on August 5, 2019. Now we are marching ahead with one resolve and one aim that the poorest of the poor, dalits, OBCs and tribal communities have the first right on Government resources,” he added.
The Jammu Kashmir government recently approved a proposal for allotment of 5 marla land each to landless families for construction of houses under the PMAY. Two former chief minister of erstwhile state raised their concerns over the policy and categorisation of the landless people.
On Friday, Kashmiri separatist group All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) said that the announcement to give land “homeless people” raised “serious doubts and concerns” among people.
“The identity of these “homeless people” and the intentions behind this move are suspect as there are glaring discrepancies and an opaqueness about the whole matter,” APHC said in a statement.
The APHC said to relieve the people of their concerns and put the matter to rest , authorities must come clean on who the “homeless people “ are who will be given the land here , and what is the criteria for their categorisation.
