Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 9: A delegation of farmers affected by Srinagar and Jammu Semi Ring Projects had a detailed meeting with Chief Secretary at Civil Secretariat today.
The affected farmers apprised Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam about the difficulties they are facing due to land acquisition process in Kashmir valley and Jammu division.
The joint delegation of affected farmers from Kashmir valley and Jammu district lead by GA Paul , Sharat Dubey , Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat and Haji Ghulam Hussain urged upon Chief Secretary that existing land acquisition act which is an 84- year- old law needs to be replaced by a new legislation or ordinance. The delegation also apprised CS about the low stamp duty rates in Jammu district which do not at all match with the existing market rates.
The farmers appealed Chief Secretary that if Central Law can’t be extended to J&K in view of Presidents rule then Government must go ahead with Private Negotiations (PNC) which is a provision in the J&K Land Acquisition Act 1934. The CS assured that he will take up PNC issue with Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Budgam.
” We have raised issues related to enactment of new land acquisition law in J&K with Governors Advisor K K Sharma some days back. Now, we have met with CS. The issue of very low stamp duty rates in Jammu district was also discussed threadbare plus grant of compensation to those people who were cultivating Custodian land in RS Pura , Marh and Bhalwal tehsils. We now plan to meet Governor and apprise him for passing an ordinance on Land Acquisition in consultation with President of India ” said Ali Mohammad Wani, general secretary of Ring Road Land Owners Welfare Committee.
The delegation apprised Chief Secretary about very less agriculture land holding in Jammu & Kashmir and demanded that farmers be given better compensation keeping these technical issues into consideration.
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