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Anti-encroachment drive to recover govt land will continue: LG Sinha
Laying the foundation stone for Mall of Srinagar to be built by a Dubai-based construction group, the LG said, “This is a new dawn of limitless possibilities. Mall of Srinagar will have transformative impact on UT and boost infrastructure, employment generation and ease of living.”
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said the drive to evict illegal occupants from the government land in Jammu and Kashmir will resume and the retrieved land would be used to fuel industrial revolution in the union territory.
“Let me make it clear that we will take back all state land. The state land must remain with the government,” Sinha said at the foundation-laying ceremony of what he claimed was the first FDI project in Jammu and Kashmir at Sempora here.
The UT administration had launched the eviction drive in January this year but had to stop it following protests. “The big tracts of land will be given for setting up industry. The smaller plots will be used to create facilities like playfields. The small patches of land will be used as burial ground for poor people who don’t even get land for last rites,” the LG said.
Laying the foundation stone for Mall of Srinagar to be built by a Dubai-based construction group, the LG said, “This is a new dawn of limitless possibilities. Mall of Srinagar will have transformative impact on UT and boost infrastructure, employment generation and ease of living.”
The administration led by Sinha also held a major investors’ meet with delegates from the UAE at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
Sinha said that the Dubai-based Emaar group will be investing ₹500 crore in J&K. “Land has also been given adjacently for an IT tower in Srinagar that will be inaugurated next month. A similar tower will also come up at a cost of ₹150 crore in Jammu,” he added.
Sinha said that foreign investments will improve the livelihood of people in the region.
“J&K has witnessed a huge change post-August 5, 2019. The Mall of Srinagar and allied projects with the government of Dubai would fuel the economic growth of J&K and bring us closer to achieving the shared vision of strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties between India and the UAE,” he added.
‘Peace is prevailing in J&K’
“Today, peace is prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir. Days of hartals have become history now. The world had witnessed the people of Pulwama, Tral, and Shopian coming out of their homes in huge numbers with national flags in their hands,” Sinha said.
Talking about the project, Emaar CEO Amit Jain said, “Mall of Srinagar is one of our milestone projects and we are excited about its potential. We bring along strong relationships with leading retail brands of the UAE, most of which will be launching their presence in India through this initiative.”
The overall project will include a mall, a multiplex, a five-star hotel, and a multi-use commercial and residential complex. The mall is expected to be completed by 2026.
A spokesperson from Magna Waves Buildtech, which will be developing the mall along with Emaar group, said over 1,000 people are expected to be hired during the course of construction. “Once operational, the mall will create 13,500 new jobs in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
India-UAE investors meet
LG Sinha said they were attempting to create a conducive ecosystem for investment in the region. The UAE business delegation was led by Sharafuddin Sharaf, chairperson, UIBC (India chapter) and Faizal Edavalath Kottikollon, chairperson, UIBC (UAE chapter). UIBC is UAE-India Business Council which is the official joint trade chamber set up by both the governments for promoting economic synergy between the UAE and India which was formally launched in September 2015 in New Delhi.
The LG assured the investors that the land will be allocated within 15 days from the submission of the proposal. “It is true that before August 5, 2019, it was unimaginable that anybody will get land in J&K. I won’t talk much on this, but I want to say that we have ensured to protect agricultural land for the people of J&K. But industries, educational and technical institutions (should) come,” he added.
Sinha said that 1.88 crore visitors toured J&K last year. “I am hopeful that FDI as well as investment from within the country will be made in Kashmir and like other states, J&K will also reach its peak,” he added.
