Some elements misleading people on issue of land to landless: Manoj Sinha

After several political leaders in J&K raised questions over government’s decision of providing free land to landless people, J&K’s LG Manoj Sinha said that some persons are misleading people on the issue

After several political leaders in J&K raised questions over government’s decision of providing free land to landless people, J&K’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said that some persons are misleading people on the issue of land to landless in J&K. LG Sinha without naming the leaders said that those who were involved in grabing of state land and building houses are opposing this scheme of land for the landless poor.

LG Sinha said that those who were involved in grabing of state land and building houses are opposing this scheme of land for the landless poor. (ANI File Photo)

“J&K government is dedicated to serve the poor section of society. It is providing land to landless citizens who were ignored in the past. They are eligible under PMAY (G) and will soon have their own house. However, some influential people and their associates, who had grabbed state land, think that poor section should not utilise the government resources,” the Lt Governor said while addressing the National Tribal Festival at SKICC.

Sinha said that they (political leaders) must understand that such discriminatory system was abolished on August 5, 2019. “Now we are marching ahead with one resolve and one aim that poorest of the poor, dalits, OBCs and tribal community have the first right on government resources.”

He said that as per Tribal Affairs department, 40,000 PMAY houses to be allocated to eligible tribal community families. “Government record suggests, out of these, around 8000 are landless. They cannot be deprived merely because some people do not want to see benefits reaching to underprivileged and tribals being empowered,” he said adding that Prime Minister’s Awas Yojna was implemented across the country except J&K. “Some people get pain when they see this scheme being implemented here.”

On Monday, Sinha had said that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has provided land to over 2,700 poor families for construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) - the central government’s flagship housing scheme.

The LG said that 199,550 families were found to be eligible for the scheme as on June 21. “So far, 144,000 families have been granted sanction and the process is underway for the remaining… we aim to achieve this by 2024,” he had said during a press conference.

However, leaders of various political parties including two former chief ministers raised questions on homeless and sought clarification on the status of homeless people in J&K. “Only those homeless people who have been living in J&K before 2019 should be included in this scheme. After 2019 lot of people from outside state were brought to J&K. And if those people are included in scheme who have come recently then questions will be asked,” NC vice president and former CM Omar Abdullah told reporters on Thursday.

Earlier, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti also slammed the new scheme to provide land to the homeless saying the government was treating union territory as ‘war booty’ and distributing land to 10 lakh outsiders. This, she alleged, was aimed to increase a particular vote share and ‘unpeople’ the J&K. J&K People’s Conference chairman, Sajad Gani Lone, asked the government to clarify the eligibility criteria for Land for Landless scheme and restrict land allocation solely to the erstwhile state subjects of Jammu and Kashmir, without including any new domicile holders after August 5, 2019.

“Now that questions are being raised. It will be prudent for the state administration to make it clear whether providing land to the landless and homeless, comprises of only the erstwhile domicile holders pre 5 August 2019. Per se if lists have been framed prior to 2019, as asserted by the rural development department, the list will not comprise of any newcomers. Clarification is a must”, he said, adding that it is crucial to uphold the rights of the erstwhile state subjects of Jammu and Kashmir when allocating land to the landless and homeless.