Suhail Khan
Srinagar August 8(KINS): It has been a decade since hundreds of land owners donated land for construction of water supply schemes in Kashmir, the government is yet to provide them job.
Over the last few decades, the government has assured jobs to hundreds of families in lieu of land donated for construction of water supply schemes.
However, the people whose land has been acquired for construction of water reservoirs, collection tanks, have not been provided jobs yet.
“We were promised to provide a job to one family member whose over one kanal land has been acquired by the government for construction of a reservoir but nothing has been done so far,” one of the land owners from district Budgam told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
He donated the land in 2010 and was promised to provide a job to a family member. “Everything has been done but the file is pending in the Civil Secretariat. If the government can’t provide us a job then they should return our land. We have given the names of our family members for the job who are near to over age,” he said.
He is not an isolated case. There are many who too lost kanals of land in the last few decades to the job promise. Land owners who have donated less than 1 kanal of land have been given compensation.
“We have been moving from pillar to post for the last one decade but nothing is being done. Government is forcing us to stop water from these water reservoirs which will put people into deep trouble,” another land owner said.
He said they have submitted the revenue records proving ownership of the land and completed every other formality. “Still nothing is being done. Every department has cleared 11 cases in 2018 for Budgam district but orders have not been issued,” he added.
Land owners from other areas of Kashmir are facing similar problems and are waiting for jobs.
Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar said he would look into the matter.
While Under Secretary Jal Shakti Department Arifa Ashraf said there are around 1000 people who have donated the land.
“They have to be regularized but the decision is pending as things have been delayed for the last one year. They have to wait for some more time,” she told KINS.(KINS)
