By Majid Nabi
Srinagar- The mainstream parties have upped ante over the Union Territory administration’s recent decision of providing free land to homeless families, claiming that the scheme lacks transparency and was aimed to settle outsiders in Jammu and Kashmir.
There is “lack of transparency” in the housing to homeless scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP said on Thursday, a day after the administration termed as “factually incorrect” Mehbooba Mufti’s allegation that there are attempts to settle outsiders to change the Union Territory’s demography.
Earlier this week, LG Manoj Sinha announced that the Jammu and Kashmir government has approved allotment of five marlas of land to each landless poor family under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (G) beneficiaries to build houses in J&K.
Asking administration to come clean on who are the homeless people in Jammu & Kashmir, former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said those who have come to J&K after 2019 shouldn’t be included in the new scheme unveiled by the administration to allocate land for “homeless” people.
“Government should clear who are these homeless people, how are you counting these homeless numbers. Are you counting those as well who have come here just a week before”, he told reporters in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Omar also asked the government to clarify whether those who have been residing in J&K prior to 2019 are homeless or those who arrived here after 2019.
“First of all, the government should clear who is homeless and who is counted in the list. Have you set any cutoff date, I think those who arrived here a week ago are also being counted in the list of homeless people, so they claim for the free land,” the NC leader said.
He asked the government to adjust only those who have been living in J&K prior to abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
Taking a dig at the Modi-led government at the Centre, the former CM said the recent announcement has created doubts in hearts and minds of the people.
“If you talk about those having entered J&K after 2019 will certainly create doubts in our hearts and minds. Let the government come clear on the matter to make it debatable,” he added.
On Wednesday, PDP chief Mehbooba had told a press conference: “The LG made an announcement about giving land to 1.99 lakh landless people in J&K. Doubts and concerns have come to the fore as to who these landless people in Jammu and Kashmir are.”
She had claimed that “according to the figures of the central government placed before Parliament, there are only 19,000 homeless families in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Hours after her press conference, the Lieutenant Governor (LG)-led administration responded saying her statement that the “government is allotting land to two lakh odd persons is factually incorrect”.
On the J-K administration’s response, the PDP on Thursday said there is a “lingering lack of transparency in the process”. The main question of a “sharp jump in numbers of homeless people from 1,947 in 2021 to nearly two lakh households remains unaddressed”, the party said in a statement.
The PMAY has been in operation for decades in J&K under different titles and a procedure has been in place which always was monitored by the Government of India itself from the identification level to the execution level, the PDP said.
It said the assistance would be given generally to the poorest landholders and in case of people without land, there was a process in place to allot them land out of community lands such as Kahcharai, State land and Khalisa.
The PDP said the claim that “two lakh identified households still remain homeless raises doubts about the sharp increase”. “Either the exercise is flawed or the intentions are suspect,” the party added.
Mehbooba, a former chief minister of J-K, had on Wednesday also accused the administration of importing slums and poverty into the Union Territory under the pretext of providing housing to homeless people. She had called it an attempt to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir.
However, a spokesperson of the administration had said that the “statements made by her are without having any understanding of the PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) scheme and revenue laws of J-K which permit allotment of land to landless, for housing purposes”.
“So, neither any change in the law has been made, nor any outsider is being allotted land,” he had said.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said the Jammu and Kashmir administration has started providing 150 square yard plots to landless families for the construction of their houses under the PMAY.
“The rural development department has identified 1.83 lakh families who do not have their own houses. We are working on it. It is a step that will not only provide a house to them but transform their lives,” he had said, claiming that plots to 2,711 landless families across the union territory have already been allotted.
On Thursday, the PDP also said the latest announcement made at the highest level comes close on the heels of the allotment of tenements to non-local workers in Jammu. “Does any state in the country reciprocate this for thousands of workers, hawkers, small vendors who move to plains during winters?” the PDP statement said.
Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone also sought clarification from the administration over its policy for the homeless.
“Now that questions are being raised. It will be prudent for the state administration to make it clear whether providing land to the landless and homeless, comprises of only the erstwhile domicile holders pre-August 5, 2019. Per se if lists have been framed prior to 2019, as asserted by the rural development department, the list will not comprise of any newcomers. Clarification is a must,” Lone said on Twitter.
Mehbooba Inciting People By Spreading Propaganda: BJP
BJP chief Ravinder Raina hit out at former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti for her “demographic change” remarks, saying she is inciting people by spreading “false propaganda”.
“Mehbooba Mufti is inciting people. It is conspiracy to say that people from outside will be given land and homes in J-K. It is a mere propaganda. It is a false statement made by Mehbooba Mufti,” Raina said.
The Lieutenant Governor’s recent decision is a monumental one, particularly for the impoverished and homeless individuals. This significant step aims to provide land and housing to those who are currently lacking both, he said.
“While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to provide land and housing for landless and homeless poor of Jammu and Kashmir, these leaders, who have done nothing substantial during their time as chief ministers and ministers, mislead people through their propaganda,” Raina said.
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