Air service to far off areas soon
Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, July 14: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has assured Jammu and Kashmir Government that it would help the State retrieve over 100 kanals of its land at Raja Ji Marg in New Delhi, which was in possession of the Army.
Mr Chidambaram has also agreed to take up with concerned Ministry in New Delhi the State Government’s demand for start of helicopter service to far flung areas from capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar and vacation of the State property from the possession of Union Labour Ministry in Chandigarh.
Mr Chidambaram’s assurance came after Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Incharge Housing and Urban Development Department, raised the issues with him during North Zone Chief Ministers’ conference at Chandigarh yesterday. Tara Chand headed the State delegation in the CMs’ conference, which was attended by Mr Chidambaram and hosted by Punjab, in the absence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who yesterday had to attend crucial plan meeting of the State with Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
Tara Chand told the Excelsior that he took up the demand for vacation of over 100 kanals of Jammu and Kashmir Government’s land at Raja Ji Marg in New Delhi, which was in the possession of Army authorities with the Union Home Minister.
Noting that the State was already facing shortage of accommodation in New Delhi with Kashmir House at Chankyapuri and Prithvi Raj Road unable to meet the increasing demand, the Deputy Chief Minister said the Government wanted to construct another Guest House at Raja Ji Marg to help the people of J&K visiting the Union capital for treatment.
Tara Chand said the Union Home Minister assured him that he would take up the demand with the Defence Ministry and the Army authorities for vacation of J&K land at Raja Ji Marg.
During the tenure of Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad as Chief Minister of J&K, 18 rooms of a building located at Raja Ji Marg were got vacated from the Army. Despite repeated requests by the State Government, the Defence authorities have refused to vacate 100 kanals of land under their possession.
The Deputy Chief Minister also urged Mr Chidambaram to get another portion of land in J&K in Union Territory of Chandigarh vacated from the possession of the Union Labour Ministry.
He pointed out that the Ministry was paying only a nominal rent to the State Government while using the land. He said the State wanted to utilize its land for constructing a Guest House for the people visiting PGI Chandigarh for treatment.
Mr Chidambaram took up the matter with the Union Labour Ministry, which assured him that it was constructing its own building in Chandigarh and would vacate the premises of J&K.
Tara Chand also took up the issue of starting helicopter services to various far flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir, which remained cut off due to heavy snowfall during winter, from capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar. He said a number of areas of the State like Kargil, parts of Kishtwar, Kupwara etc remained cut off during the winter due to heavy snowfall.
The Union Home Minister assured the Deputy Chief Minister that he would take up the demand with the concerned Ministry and ensure that the helicopter services to far off areas were started shortly in J&K.
On the water dispute of Jammu and Kashmir with Punjab pertaining to Ranjit Sagar dam, Mr Chidambaram said J&K was not the only State, which was having water dispute with Punjab but there were disputes between Haryana and Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka etc.
He added that the Central Government would call a separate meeting of the State on water issues.
Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohi-ud-Din had accompanied Tara Chand in the delegation.
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