Govt to make Jhelum encroachment-free in Srinagar: Altaf Bukhari

SRINAGAR, June 13: Minister for Finance and Labour & Employment, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Wednesday said the process is on to rehabilitate the people living along the banks of river Jhelum so that banks can be freed from encroachments once for all.
Minister said this while reviewing the relocation process of the people living along the banks of River Jhelum. He said the work is in progress on war footing basis to give a one-time relief to the people living along banks of river Jhelum in Srinagar so that banks can be beautified and strengthened later to avert any tragedy in future.
He directed the officers to ensure that no structure come up on either side of the banks of river Jhelum after the dwellers are rehabilitated properly.
On the occasion, Bukhari directed the Department of Irrigation and Flood Control to complete the left out work of land filling at Bemina By-pass near SKIMS within 15 days and asked the Vice-Chairman SDA to ensure that the plots for beneficiaries are demarcated within a weeks’ time after the land filling is completed.
He said the families living along Jhelum in Srinagar city and the families living in houseboats will be relocated to the identified plots at Bemina and the possession of these plots shall be given to the identified families at earliest. He directed officials to expedite the process so that families can be relocated on time.
It was decided in the meeting that the Sub-Committee already constituted for verification of details of the left-over families of river Jhelum shall verify the list of beneficiaries by the end of this month for further processing.
Bukhari also directed the Srinagar Development Authority to obtain an estimate of the requirement of basic amenities including road, water, power from the line departments for the plots located at Gund-e-Aksha.
With regard to the rehabilitation of the families living along Jhelum in Batamaloo and Eidgah constituencies, Minister was informed that 160 kanals have already been identified at Rakh-e-Gund-Aksha and process is on to relocate the families.
The meeting was attended by MLA Batamaloo Noor Mohammad, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, VC LAWDA, VC Srinagar Development Authority, Ex’xen Irrigation and Flood Control, other senior officials and members of affected families.