Jammu : National Conference Additional General Secretary and Former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, today expressed hope that the people centric government led by Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah will take earnest measures to waive the change of land use (CLU) criteria for the sale of very small land plots intended for house construction in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a public rally at Marh Bagh in Marh Assembly Constituency which organized by Sardar Jasbir Singh (Raju) and Charanjeet Singh Block Presidents, Sunday afternoon Sadhotra referred to the severe financial distress faced by the people of J&K over the past decade due to prolonged misgovernance and economic hardships and said that poverty has forced many families to sell parts of their land holdings to finance their children’s education tomeet essential medical and marriage expenses of their children. However, existing land laws prevent such transactions due to restrictions on land use change, which is also detrimental to the growth of housing sector, he added.
Mr Sadhotra said that many land places that are no longer under cultivation due to reasons such as the expansion of municipal limits – cannot be sold due to the requirement of a change in land use. This restriction has become a major obstacle to the housing sector, as landowners are unable to obtain Farads (Revenue Records) due to these regulations, preventing them from legally selling their land, he elaborated.
The National Conference Additional General Secretary said that since the housing needs of the people have increased manifold in recent years due to population growth and increase in the family sizes, the owners cannot use their rightful lands for the construction purposes due to stringent land use regulations and hence the waiver has become all the more imperative.
Hoping for immediate action, Sadhotra assured that he will seek intervention of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to review and relax the restrictive land regulations so that small landowners are not deprived of their right to sell their properties for legitimate purposes such as housing and financial sustenance.
He reiterated the Party’s commitment to standing by the underprivileged sections of society and ensuring policies that promote social and economic justice. He expressed confidence that the government would take urgent measures to address this pressing issue in the larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Conference Additional General Secretary also expressed concern over the delay in compensation to farmers whose land has been acquired for the Jammu Ring Road and sought its early release to save them from taking the recourse of judicial intervention.
Sadhotra reaffirmed that the National Conference (NC) has always been a pro-people and pro-farmer party, a fact demonstrated by the pioneering and revolutionary Land Reforms Act introduced by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
This historic legislation empowered the poor and downtrodden by granting themownership of the lands they had tilled for generations, transforming them intorightful masters of their holdings. Sardar Jasbir Singh Raju was appointed Block Vice President.
