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Land owners plan stir in Kashmir

Shujaat Bukhari

KUPWARA/BARAMULLA: Land owners in north Kashmir, whose orchards and agriculture land has been occupied by security forces since 1990, have threatened a State-wide agitation.

They will go ahead with the stir if the State and Central Governments do not get their land vacated.

Huge areas in Kupwara and Baramulla districts have been occupied for "operational" purposes since 1990, when the armed rebellion broke out in Kashmir. This is apart from the large chunk of land occupied by the Army from 1947 . Compensation is being given to owners whose land has been occupied after 1947, but the amount is meagre.

The owners, whose land has been occupied since 1990, are unable to bear the loss. "We are tired now and we have been requesting the government to come to our rescue but nobody is ready to help us," said Abdur Rehman (name changed), a villager in Kupwara district.

"The whole orchard is fenced with barbed wire and we are not allowed to go in and the apple trees are decaying," he said.

Same is the case with people in Zirhama, Dahama, Panzgam and other villages. They say that even orchards on the roadside are not safe. "The road opening parties of security forces simply loot the apple during the season," said another orchard owner. The situation in Baramulla district is no different.

The Jammu and Kashmir Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association plans a State-wide agitation to press their demands.

Its president Ghulam Rasool Bhat told The Hindu that they had approached the former Chief Ministers, Farooq Abdullah and Mufti Sayeed. "But they seemed to be helpless. If the Government does not listen to us it will be costly for them as we will not rest till our orchards are restored," he said.

When contacted, Defence spokesman Col. A.K. Mathur said: "I cannot talk about a specific case right now but these places have been occupied for strategic purposes and I think compensation is being given and if someone has complaints they he should contact the authorities concerned." Col. Mathur said that he would take up the issue with Defence Estates Wing.

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Land owners plan stir in Kashmir

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