156 buildings vacated by armed forces in JK

Srinagar, July 24: As many as 156 buildings, both government and private besides hotels, have been vacated by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir since 2005, officials said today.

This was stated at a high-level meeting convened here by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to review vacation of government accommodation such as schools, hospitals, tourism and private holdings by security forces in the state.

Mr Azad was briefed on the progress on vacation of government and private accommodation by the Army and other security forces.

During the current year, as many as nine buildings, including five private houses and three hotels, besides two private land holdings have been vacated by security forces in the Valley.

In 2006, as many as 22 private houses, government buildings and hotels were vacated while in 2005 the figure was 81, excluding 7 land holdings, in Kashmir, the meeting was told.

Since 2003, the security forces have vacated 28 hotels and guest houses in Kashmir, mostly in Srinagar. Of these, 25 were vacated from 2005 onwards only.

In all, as many as 112 buildings, both government and private have been vacated by the security forces in Kashmir since 2005. In Jammu province, 19 private houses have been vacated during this period, the Chief Minister was informed.

Mr Azad, who has been repeatedly asking the security forces to arrange alternate accommodation and vacate government buildings and private houses, has held at least five meetings on the issue during the past two years.

During yesterday's meeting, it was observed that compensation and rental provided by security forces for private land and orchards under their possession was low and need to be adequately increased.

The Chief Minister directed the Financial Commissioner, Home, and the Director General of Police to visit New Delhi and take up the mater with officers of the Ministries of Defence and Home Affairs.

Mr Azad had already discussed the matter with Home and Defence Ministers Shivraj Patil and A K Antony respectively.

The Chief Minister said the state government was in favour of construction of own infrastructure by the security forces on war footing so that they vacate private land and orchards.

However, he said till the infrastructure was ready the payment of rent and compensation for land in the three regions of the state and orchards in Kashmir should be made on regular monthly basis.

As far as vacation of the government accommodation was concerned, the security forces were asked to speed up the process already initiated during the past 2-3 years.

UNI