![Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Syed Basharat Bukhari chairing a meeting at Jammu on Wednesday. Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Syed Basharat Bukhari chairing a meeting at Jammu on Wednesday.](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/page719.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 21: Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari today chaired the first meeting of newly constituted high-level committee for optimal utilization of the State’s land resources through appropriate land-use planning and management.
The committee is mandated with the twin tasks of reviewing laws and identifying land resources for further expansion under both agricultural and non-agricultural purposes. The committee will also formulate guidelines for protecting agricultural lands against degradation, consolidating of holdings to increase agricultural productivity, bringing fallow and wastelands under crop production and residential accommodation and better resource management.
To facilitate the working of the committee, it was proposed at today’s meeting that five sub-committees would be constituted to take a holistic view of the related issues.
The meeting was told that the proposed sub-committee on ‘Draft Policy Documentation: Learning from States’ will study similar policies adopted by various states of the country to analyze structures, functioning, opportunities and challenges associated with land use planning and management, whereas, sub-committee for ‘Taking Stock: Mapping Existing Use’ will take stock of the present land use in J&K and propose broad guidelines for optimum utilization of land.
The sub-committee for ‘Reviewing Legislative and Regulatory Framework’ will scrutinize revenue laws with particular reference to problems relating to consolidation of holdings with the intent to increase productivity of agriculture land. It will also review land use laws particularly those relating to restrictions, uncultivable lands like Araks, Kaps, Kah-e-Krisham and other uncultivable lands mentioned in the Big Landed Estates Abolition Act, Agrarian Reforms Act, Land Revenue Act in addition to reviewing forest laws with particular reference to the problems relating to degradation and protection of forest lands.
Sub-committee on Technology will undertake research through latest satellite based technology to organize land use pattern on scientific lines for efficient management of resources.
Lastly, the sub-committee on ‘Agrarian Use’ will identify problems and bottlenecks in bringing cultivable waste lands and fallow lands under crop production. It will also suggest measures for formulation of housing policies for rural areas for cluster type of constructions or developing residential colonies through public-private partnership so as to save agricultural lands from further degradation/shrinkage.
Simultaneously all departments will be providing suggestions on four sectoral papers on land use, suggestions on regulatory & legal framework, participation from experts for drawing future requirements and standardization of structural and architectural designs.
To make the land use planning and management policy holistic in nature, catering to the diverse needs of grassroots level, the Minister directed for circulation of terms of references of the Committee among various departments and corporations inviting comments and suggestions within a stipulated time of two months.
“Once the high level committee submits its recommendations policy formulation will be initiated which will be supplemented by establishment of statutory State Revenue and Land Use and Planning Board,” the Minister said.
The meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner, Planning, Development & Monitoring Department, B B Vyas, Financial Commissioner Revenue, Lokesh Jha, Commissioner Secretary Public Works (R&B) Department, Rohit Kansal, Commissioner Secretary I&C Department, Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary Forest, Environment & Ecology Department, Mohammad Afzal, Commissioner Secretary Revenue Department, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Secretary Tourism Department, Farooq Shah, Vice-Chairman Jammu Development Authority, Mubarak Singh, Secretary Horticulture Department, M H Malik, Vice-Chairman Srinagar Development Authority, S T Mustafa and other senior officers of various departments.