Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Nov 10: In what can be termed as a massive land retrieval process carried out by the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) so far, the authority today was able to retrieve at least 700 kanals of Government land.
The demolition-cum-retrieval drive was carried out in picturesque Aru village of Pahalgam where the officials said at least 700 kanals of erstwhile State land was retrieved by the PDA.
The land, as per officials, was encroached by the locals and was even sold to people belonging to different parts of Kashmir valley including several bureaucrats of J&K.
The drive was carried out jointly by the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA), Police, Revenue Department, Forest Department, Wildlife Department and the Municipal Committee, Pahalgam which continued for the most part of the day.
“This was the Phase-III of the anti-encroachment drive in Aru village and more such drives will be carried out in coming days and we will make sure that the UT land is not encroached upon anymore. We will also try to put this land in some beneficial use so that people with vested interests do not resort to such violations again,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PDA Mushtaq Ahmad Simnani told Excelsior.
Notably, it has been learned that the land had remained encroached from decades; however, due to the inaction by the administration, the land that belonged to the J&K UT was never retrieved. The issue was even taken up the locals with the concerned authorities but to no avail.
“The encroachment was done by way of fencing of large portions of the land in Aru. During the drive, two permanent structures were also demolished. After the retrieval, we have erected boards stating that the land belongs to the Government,” Simnani said.
After the retrieval drive, it appears that the PDA is not mulling any further action against those who had encroached the land and then sold the same to the buyers as the officials did not reveal anything further regarding the future course of action against the violators.
Meanwhile, the locals have hailed the PDA for conducting the drive on such a large scale and hoped that the authorities will remain proactive in the future as well.
“We are happy that the land which belonged to people has now been retrieved and we are expecting that the PDA will continue its active role in making sure that the Government land is not encroached anymore. Moreover, there has to be some action against the violators as well,” a resident said.
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