Srinagar: In a first after the scrapping of J&K’s special status in August last year, the Army, has accused some government departments in Kashmir of “encroaching” defense land in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
In this regard, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Ganderbal, Shafqat Iqbal, Friday, chaired a meeting of officers of Defence Estates, Army and Revenue Department, convened to discuss the defense land issues in the district.
The meeting, as per an official statement, was attended by Brigadier 3 Sector RR, Maheswar Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Farooq Ahmad Baba, ACR Ganderbal, ACR Bandipora, SDM Kangan, ASP Ganderbal, Tehsildar Kangan, Tehsildar Lar, Defense Estates Officer Kashmir Circle, besides other senior officials of Revenue Department and Army.
During the meeting a threadbare discussion was held on various defence land issues which are under the possession of Army at several locations of the district including Manasbal, Chattergul, Wussan, Satran, Cherwan, Gund and Sonamarg.
During the meeting the officials of defense estate raised the issue of encroachment on Defence land at Manasbal by few Govt departments/ organizations like Sericulture and SKAUST for which they also claim that land has been transferred to them earlier. The DC asked the ACR Ganderbal to check the actual facts so that appropriate action is taken by the revenue department in the case.
The DC asked the revenue officials to fix the timeline for demarcation where ever required so that actual quantum of land, if any, is handed over to the defence.
