Opposition attacks J&K govt over land compensation

Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Thursday as the opposition attacked government over failure to give compensation to people living in border areas of the state whose land had been acquired for defence purposes, and later staged a walkout.

Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Thursday as the opposition attacked government over failure to give compensation to people living in border areas of the state whose land had been acquired for defence purposes, and later staged a walkout.

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Durga Dass of BJP trooped into the well of the House and sat on dharna during Question Hour over failure to grant compensation and allotment of land to the people living along International Border (IB), whose lands had been acquired for border fencing.

"We have been raising the issue of allotment of land to the people in border areas and acquisition of their lands by the government which had come under the border fencing along IB...but nothing has been done so far," Dass said, demanding a reply from the government.

Dass was joined by members from Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party led by Harshdev Singh, other BJP members and Jammu State Morcha member Ashwani Sharma who expressed their strong disapproval, resulting in pandemonium in the House.

Speaker Mubarak Gul urged them to return to their seats, saying the issue could be raised during demands of grants of the departments and government could give an elaborate reply to the issues raised by the members at that time.

However, opposition members continued to protest and later the Speaker allowed them to discuss the issue.

Dass demanded that people living in border areas whose lands had been used for defence purpose should be immediately compensated.

JKNPP member Harshdev Singh alleged that people in border areas were being discriminated against.

Amid uproarious scenes, they staged walkout from the House.