Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 15: The Union Home Ministry said today that seven plots of land have been bought by outsiders in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir during last one year after the Central Government brought new Land Laws following abrogation of special status of erstwhile State and its bifurcation into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
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“Seven plots of land have been bought by outsiders in Jammu and Kashmir in the last one year ever since the Central Government brought new Land Laws for J&K,” Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question.
Earlier, land could only be purchased by residents of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir due to special status which were abrogated by the Central Government on August 5, 2019.
The question had been tabled in Rajya Sabha by CPI (Marxist) leader Jharna Das.
The Union Minister of State for Home stated that all the seven plots of land bought by people from outside J&K are located in Jammu division and no such purchase has been made in the Kashmir Valley.
In response to a separate question on whether civilian killings have increased recently in J&K, Rai said: “The numbers of civilian killings have remained in the range of 37-40 every year during the last five years – 2017 to 2021 (till November 30, 2021).”
He stated this in response to another question by Congress MP KC Venugopal.
“Notwithstanding attempts by the militants to target some civilians, a large number of migrant workers continued to stay on in the Kashmir Valley and left as usual upon the onset of the harsh winter,” Rai said, adding that a large number of tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir during the last few months.
“A robust security and intelligence grid is in place. Day & night area domination, patrolling and proactive operations against terrorists are being carried out. Besides, round the clock checking at nakas and road opening parties have been adequately augmented at strategic points to thwart any terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir,” Rai said.
He said holding polls in Jammu and Kashmir was the prerogative of the Election Commission and stressed that statehood would be granted to the Union Territory at an “appropriate time”.
Replying to another written questions in the Rajya Sabha, Rai said the decision to schedule elections in the Union Territory was the prerogative of the Election Commission of India.
In reply to another part of the question about any timeline for granting Statehood to the Union Territory, the Minister said, “Statehood would be granted to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time.”
The CMIE unemployment rate monthly time series for Jammu and Kashmir from 2016 to October 2021 shows huge fluctuations, but Government data records usual status of unemployment there between 5.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
In a reply to a question, Nityanand Rai said the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) is a business information company which compiles information with regard to unemployment data on its own devised parameters and procedures.
“The Unemployment rate monthly time series projected by the CMIE, in respect of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir from the year January 2016 to October 2021 shows huge fluctuations.
“However, from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation during July 2017- June 20, the estimates of unemployment rate in usual status in Jammu and Kashmir fluctuates between 5.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent,” he said.
The Minister said the number of vacant posts in the Government has gone down considerably and is well below 80,000 as many steps have been taken to address the issue of unemployment and filling vacancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rai said the UT Government has informed that economic parameters do not indicate sluggishness of economy leading to loss of jobs.
“During the financial year 2020-21, the indicators like State Goods and Services Tax (SGST), Motor and Spirit Tax (MST), Stamp Collection have witnessed growth of 14.50 per cent, 64.63 per cent and 104.10 per cent respectively, as compared to the last year,” he said.
Rai said the net increase in Goods and Services Tax collection has been 25.43 per cent in the current year and the excise collection has been Rs. 770 crore, which is higher as compared to previous year for the corresponding period.
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