Voices rise against ongoing anti-encroachment drive in J&K

Thousands of acres of state land has been retrieved by the administration across the UT in recent weeks

In the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Jammu and Kashmir, both mainstream and separatists besides militants have also raised their voices.

Thousands of acres of state land has been retrieved by the administration across the Union Territory (UT) in recent weeks, while hundreds of structures built on the encroached land have been demolished. Some of the encroachers from whom the land has been retrieved include former ministers, bureaucrats and prominent businessmen.

Former chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Monday said the demolition drive has triggered a wave of frustration and chaos among people and advocated that the government should make the bulldozer its last resort, "give people a chance to prove their claim and issue proper notices to the people having illegal possession of state land.”

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"Bulldozers are being sent everywhere to demolish houses, complexes and buildings. But nobody knows what is the procedure and on what basis this demolition drive is being conducted,” he said while addressing a press conference here.

The former CM said his sister approached the High Court with regard to the proposed demolition of their Gupkar house and was told by the government before the Court that the list making rounds in the media is "forged".

"Given the government response in the court, I urge the government to make the genuine list of people who have grabbed State land public,” he said.

Omar said that the government should also make a public "genuine list of people who have occupied State land". "It seems that the ongoing drive is aimed at creating a wedge between communities. This drive lacks proper procedure,” he said.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and another former CM Mehbooba Mufti said that the BJP government was using evictions, demolitions and anti-encroachment drives to uproot and harass people of the UT. She suggested that the government should instead focus on getting back the grazing lands grabbed by China in Ladakh.

Moderate Hurriyat Conference faction led by Mirwaiz Umar said the eviction and demolition drive was causing deep anguish and distress among people. "It is seriously impacting the life and livelihood of people. One after other persecutory measures are being taken to dispossess people and make them helpless," an unnamed spokesperson of the separatist amalgam said in an emailed statement.

He urged the authorities to immediately stop it and spare the people. Meanwhile, The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be an off-shoot of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) has issued a seven-point warning against the ongoing demolition drive in J&K. The outfit has threatened it would "kill and target anyone" who "owns or drives" the bulldozers or JCBs being used in the anti-encroachment drive and anyone working for the revenue department.

"...from peon to the clerk to Patwari, Naib Tehsildar or Tehsildar or DC. Involved or not. Whosoever is working in this department (revenue) is on the Target List," the TRF’s reported warning stated.