Mehbooba opposes land acquisition by IAF in JK

Srinagar, Oct 16: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has opposed the proposed acquisition of about 5000 kanals (250 hectares) of cultivable land by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in south Kashmir district of Pulwama.

Ms Mufti raised the issue with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee when she called on him in New Delhi on Saturday.

She said the proposed acquisition by the IAF at Koil in Pulwama district for expansion of an aerodrome would leave the entire population of the area landless.

The PDP president said the land identified for the purpose was the only crop land and the source of sustenance for the people of the area. The remaining land was highly flood-prone area and devastated by recent incessant rains, she added.

Ms Mufti also raised the issue of 7000 kanals (350 hectares) of grazing land which was in the possession of the Army at Khumbthang and belonged to Saliskote village in the border district of Kargil.

The Army has already been allotted the land in lieu of Khumbthang area, but was yet to vacate that, she added.

Ms Mufti also urged Mr Mukherjee to allow commercial flights on the Kargil airport, which had been taken over by the IAF, to facilitate movement of the people and promote tourism in the area.

Meanwhile, speaking at an all party meeting in the national capital on Friday to discuss the time-limit for parliament delimitation commission, the PDP president strongly advocated creation of more parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir proportionate with the population growth of the state.

While increasing the number of parliamentary seats in the state, she said the Commission must ensure that one more seat was necessarily created in the Ladakh region for Kargil district.

Ms Mufti told the meeting that though Kargil was peaceful and tremendous tranquility existed between various communities, the area gets communally polarised during elections because of only one parliamentary constituency in the region.

Various political parties taking advantage of the sensitivity of the situation in the region flare up communal passions during elections to grab votes, she added.

Given the topography of the region and its huge geographical area, the PDP chief said it was very difficult for a member of parliament to do justice with the Ladakh parliamentary constituency.

In her meeting with Union Surface Transport Minister A Baalu, she discussed the proposal regarding construction of 65 km road from Panikhar to Pahalgam which would provide an alternate connectivity to the Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley.

UNI