SYED ALI SAFVI
BUDGAM, Sep 19: In a move that has a potential of angering public and triggering yet another spell of unrest in strife-torn valley of Kashmir, paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is planning to acquire around 500 kanals of land in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
According to reliable sources, the CRPF wants the land for establishing a training centre and living quarters. The land is a kilometer and half away from the district headquarters.
The move has created panic among residents who are worried about their safety.
“We don’t want to live under constant fear,” said the residents.
Mainstream political leaders and separatists are aghast at the move.
Former minister and MLA Khan Sahib, Hakim Mohammad Yaseen has termed the move as “unfortunate”.
“I don’t understand why they chose only Budgam for this purpose. Humhama, Sheikhpora, ShariefAbad, Damodar Karewa are already under their occupation,” he said.
He said on one hand there are talks about demilitarization and on the other hand more and more land is being acquired by the forces in the valley.
The sources said that the land owners, mostly property dealers who are not the residents of the area, are willing to give land to CRPF while the residents are against any such move.
Pertinently, according to official statistics, 128257 kanals of land have been occupied by security forces in the Kashmir valley. Incidentally, Budgam district tops the list with 55468 kanals of land under security force occupation. Damodar Karewah, occupied the security forces, has around 500 acres of land that belongs to farmers of Budgam district. However, for the last three decades, the farmers have been fighting a legal battle to get their land back or an "adequate compensation".
Moreover, the landowners of Damodhar Karewah, Wathoora and Kralpora villages, had filed a contempt petition in the State High Court wherein they submitted that security forces had "violated and dishonoured" High Court and Supreme Court orders, by "failing to either acquire and pay compensation or vacate around 4000 acres of land in its occupations since 1952 at Old Airport by March 31, 2010".
Minister for Revenue, Raman Bhalla, had on September 2, 2011 directed officials of district administration Budgam to conduct a fresh survey of land under acquisition of security forces in many areas of the district. The survey, he said, would be carried out jointly by a team of Defense, Revenue, ATS and other concerned departments "to avoid any confusion".
Interestingly, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) had on August 10, 2011 alleged that 200 acre land near Indian Air Force station in Budgam district has been grabbed by private parties in connivance with government officials. The BJP had demande a probe by CAG and Ministry of Defence into the matter.
According to established norms, the army camp should be away from civil population, and it should not be constructed on agriculture land or in orchards.
However, in case of Budgam the identified land is very adjacent to civilian population and is an orchard land.
Talking to Kashmir Times, MLA Budgam, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, said that the people are divided over the issue.
“Some are in favour and some are against it. I will go by the will of the people,” he said.
Pertinently, district administration is supposed to get NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the concerned MLA before giving land to the men in uniform.
“If the said land is given to the forces, it will open a Pandora’s box,” Yaseen said.
When contacted, IG CRPF Operations, Dr BN Ramesh, said that they were looking for land in Kashmir.
“CRPF has 17 battalions. We need to develop a permanent battalion sites and for that we need around 200 acres of land,” he told Kashmir Times.
When contacted, District Development Commissioner (DDC) Budgam, Mohammad Rafi, said that there are certain guidelines that need to be followed in such cases.
"We need to give some priority in finding appropriate land for security forces who are on internal security. It's not like they asking and we refusing. But there are certain parameters that need to be fulfilled," Rafi said. "First, we have to see that the move is not affecting the agriculture land. The Land Revenue Act prohibits conversion of agriculture land for non-agriculture purposes. Second, it should not result in creating unemployment unless it offers an alternative employment package. Third, in such cases, we have to obtain a NOC from local MLA."
Rafi also said that there was a difference of opinion among the people regarding transfer of land.
"Land owners, most of them absentee land owners, are willing to give their land to security forces, but the residents are objecting it," he said. "Amid stiff opposition, we may not be able to do it."
Significantly, according to government statistics, 55468 kanals of land have been occupied by security agencies in Budgam district, 51992 kanals of land in North Kashmir, while in south Kashmir, security agencies have occupied 20797 kanals of land.
The DDC said that his office has not yet issued legal notification, but the CRPF has been asked to look for an alternative location, which is away from the civil population.
"We are looking for a suitable location for them," he said.
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