- ‘None from NC, PDP challenging Aug 5 decisions resigned from Parliament, Same does PC at SMC’
- ‘Qualifying period for domicile should be 25 yrs, will come out with suggestions, objections on delimitation panel shortly’
- ‘Ceilings on land on lease basis exclusively for residential house must for non resident, exclusive ownership rights on agriculture land for PRC holders’
- ‘Support recruitment process, however want regularization of all daily rated workers’
We support, if there is any idea of appointing political advisors for the Lt. Governor who would, at least be in a better position to make a connect with the people at the grass root level than the present regime of advisors who have a bureaucratic background.
Srinagar: President Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari presently in news over the speculations about the formation of an advisory council here on Friday said that he has no idea about the formation of advisory council but he however announced his party’s support to any proposal about the appointment of political advisors to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. Replying to a volley of questions during an exclusive with Kashmir Horizon, the Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party Chief asked that did National Conference and PDP MPs resign from parliament in protest against August 5,2019 decisions and has Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Conference which had it’s Mayor at SMC asked it’s corporators to resign in protest. He demanded 25 years qualifying period for people wanting to become domiciles in Jammu & Kashmir. He also proposed exclusive ownership rights for PRC holders on Agriculture land and ceiling on land only for residential houses to non J&K residents acquiring domicile rights in Jammu & Kashmir. Below are the excerpts of the interview with J&K Apni Party Chief.
Q: would you confirm or refute the speculations about constitution of an administrative council?
AB: I have no idea about any such proposal so to me these are unfounded speculations.
National Conference has three of its MPs in the Parliament, so are the two MPs from PDP. Even if both the parties are ostensibly at daggers drawn against the last year’s political decisions, not a single MP from these parties have resigned in protest so far. Similarly, PC has a number of its councilors intact in Srinagar Municipal Corporation and until recently, the SMC was headed by PC Mayor. So it is a sweeping political analysis when you say that none of them will be joining any type of administrative arrangements.
Q: will J&K Apni Party like to be part of an administrative council which won’t have representation of other top regional mainstream parties like NC, PDP, PC and other smaller parties. Won’t non participation of other mainstream parties make the constitution of advisory council an undemocratic exercise?
AB: As I already said that these are mere speculations and there is no fun making any long short predictions about participation of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) in any such formations. Moreover, is your assumption of NC, PDP and PC not becoming a part of an politico-administrative structure, if proposed, based on their party’s official decisions or it is just your personal hunch? See National Conference has three of its MPs in the Parliament, so are the two MPs from PDP. Even if both the parties are ostensibly at daggers drawn against the last year’s political decisions, not a single MP from these parties have resigned in protest so far. Similarly, PC has a number of its councilors intact in Srinagar Municipal Corporation and until recently, the SMC was headed by PC Mayor. So it is a sweeping political analysis when you say that none of them will be joining any type of administrative arrangements.
In politics as the adage goes: You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.
Q:Won’t Apni Party be surrendering the demand of statehood by joining the proposed administrative council as it has already publicly refused to be part of any political arrangement before the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir
AB: I think I have amply made it clear that these are mere assumptions which have no credible basis as of now. So there is no question of surrendering our demand of Statehood. Yes, we support, if there is any idea of appointing political advisors for the Lt. Governor who would, at least be in a better position to make a connect with the people at the grass root level than the present regime of advisors who have a bureaucratic background.
Q: Would Apni Party seek some amendments in the already implemented domicile law and the proposed delimitation initiative. If yes what kind of amendments would Apni Party propose in the existing domicile law and the proposed delimitation initiative
AB: Our party has already expressed displeasure with regard to the period for becoming a domicile in J&K. We will continue to demand that the qualifying period for becoming a domicile in J&K should be at least 25 years. Similarly, on land ownership rights, we believe no agricultural land should be allowed to be bought by non-domicile people. There should be a ceiling on how much land one take on lease for residential house in J&K. At the same time for industrial purposes current procedure of land should be continued. As is clear we are of the opinion only PRC holders can own land in J&K rest people who acquire domicile as per new norm can only have a limited land on lease for residential purposes.
We will continue to demand that the qualifying period for becoming a domicile in J&K should be at least 25 years. Similarly, on land ownership rights, we believe no agricultural land should be allowed to be bought by non-domicile people. There should be a ceiling on how much land one take on lease for residential house in J&K. At the same time for industrial purposes current procedure of land should be continued
With regard to functioning of Delimitation Commission, we believe it should be fair and transparent and if the number of seats of assembly or parliamentary segments is to be increased the same should be carried out rationally and not thrust on people in an arbitrary fashion. Nevertheless, JKAP has already started examining the points of reference for the delimitation commission and we will come up with our suggestions and objections at an appropriate time and we will resist if any changes are brought in arbitrarily.
Q: what will be the Apni Party’s stand on job policy and the ongoing recruitment process for class IV positions as 60,000 daily rated workers if different departments are already pressing hard over their demand for regularization.
AB: While we support the ongoing appointment process initiated by the J&K government and demand fast track recruitment against all available posts in government sector, we have strongly advocated for regularization of all daily rated, contingency paid, consolidated, NYCs, casual labourers, ASHA and Anganwari workers, HDF, ITI skilled, adhoc and contractual employees who have been deprived of their right to a dignified livelihood since decades.