Changes in land laws, cheating with JK’s PRC holders: JK CSF

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum, has expressed it’s anguish over the central government’ amendments in JK land laws to allow people from outside J&K to buy land there and termed the move tantamount to cheating the people of Jammu and Kashmir .
JK CSF Chairman and former trade union leader Abdul Qayoom Wani in a statement on Wednesday said that people of J&K wanted comprehensive domicile rights on land and jobs and it was absolutely a cheating that via a gazette notification, the Centre has omitted the phrase “permanent resident of the state” from Section 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act that deals with disposal of the land in the Jammu and Kashmir , paving the way for people from outside Jammu and Kashmir to buy land in J&K and Ladakh, over a year after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
Wani termed it as a sale-deed. He slammed the central government for imposing new land laws notified by the government for J&K and Ladakh and said the newly introduced J&K Development Act, was “hostile to the interests of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh”. He said these new laws are unacceptable to people of J&K and Ladakh as the, “Symbolic effort of the domicile certificate has been done away with and with this purchasing non-agricultural land has been made easier”.
He further said “the process is also part of a larger project aimed to destroy the local, distinguishing cultural identity of Kashmir”, adding that “such steps only reveal that central government is totally against the very spirit of the people’s aspirations and shows that it is the land which the central government wants and is interested in” . He also said “the amendment uncovered the permanent residents of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of their exclusive right to acquire and hold immovable property in the erstwhile state and grant such rights to non-State Subjects.”
Terming the amendment order as “huge treachery”, Wani said, “this is an immense assault on the rights of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and totally unconstitutional. Wani further said that the amendment will prove disastrous for the environment of Jammu and Kashmir and will destroy its fragile eco texture as well. “JK CSF will raise voice to safeguard the legal and constitutional rights of people of J&K and will fight for protecting the natural resources, glaciers, pastures, land and basic citizenship rights of the people of J&K to whom it belongs”, Wani said. “The top leaders of JK CSF also expressed their anguish and serious concern over this illegal and unconstitutional act and vowed to raise voice against it”, said Wani.