Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Feb 1: Ranbir Singh Pathania, former MLA and BJP spokesperson was addressing a series of largely attended meetings in Udhampur. While addressing a meeting at village Dehma of tehsil Majalta and interacting with a deputation of affected land owners, he called upon the UT-level dispensation to adopt a humanitarian approach while going ahead with eviction drives on State, Kahcharai and Roshni lands held by poor, landless and indigent people.
The concept of ‘Navtods’ was evolved in late sixties under the regime of the then Chief Minister, GM Sadiq with the slogan ‘grow more, sow more’. It was as per the policy that people converted grasslands and meadows into crop bearing farms. Now that more than 50 years have elapsed by that the Revenue officials have been on the prowl trying to restore the status quo which is almost unworkable and impractical too.
He called for adopting a humanitarian approach as these people are dependent upon these lands for their housing as well as vocation. “We should loom for a plausible way out and rather a formula as to how these small pieces of lands could be regularised in their favour. Howsoever, welcomed Government’s move of vacating encroachment on State, Kahcharai and Roshni lands of from bureaucrats, politicians and big businessman.
Nonetheless, the ground level staff of the Department of Revenue with a view to showing their day to day performance have been going out in the area and torturing poor peasants and petty landholders.
Pathania took strong objection to the same.
He further called upon the party cadres to remain vigilant and educate and enlighten people about policies and programmes of Modi level Government.
Prominent among those present were Mohan Lal Sharma (Mandal Pardhan), Capt (retd) Gopal Singh Mankotia (Mandal Pardhan), Makhan Lal Sharma, Shiv Ram, Anil Kumar Baldev Singh Mankotia, Ved Pal (Mandal general secretaries), Ashok Kumar, Kuldip Singh, Kirpal Singh, Prem Nath, Kurpal Singh, Lochan Singh , Mohd Din, Hans Raj, Sanjiv Singh and a wide galaxy of local leadership.
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