Bills seeking ownership rights to occupants of evacuee properties to be deliberated in LA today

Jammu, Mar 29: Bills seeking ownership rights to occupants of evacuee properties and restoration of “the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Act, 1960” are among much-anticipated 33 Private Members’ Bills to be introduced for deliberations in the J&K Legislative Assembly tomorrow i.e., March 30.

National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq’s much-talked about Bill seeking restoration of “The Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Act, 1960 and the rules framed there under to their original form as it existed prior to the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grant Rules, 2022” figures at number 12 in the list of Private Members’ bills to be taken up tomorrow. The bill aims at protecting the rights of existing leases and occupants and ensuring that public land serves the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Balwant Singh Mankotia’s (Private Members) bill seeking provision of vesting of ownership rights of evacuee property to the occupants too is among the listed business for the day.

Besides, the bills seeking regularisation of daily wagers and complete liquor prohibition in J&K are also among the listed Private Members’ bills.

Another interesting bill listed in the business for deliberation in the House on March 30 is that of National Conference’s chief whip providing for the “salaries, allowances and other benefits of the Chief Whip of the majority party in the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of the Jammu and Kashmir.”

Interestingly, PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para’s much publicised bill calling for creation of two new administrative divisions (Doda, Rajouri-Poonch) and 16 new districts does not figure among the list of bills to be tabled for day’s business on the day-one earmarked for Private Members’ Bills in the ongoing budget session.

As per the provisional calendar of J&K Legislative Assembly, two days i.e., March 30 and April 2 have been earmarked for introduction and consideration (discussion) in the House.

Para’s bill has already generated a lot of heat in the J&K political circles with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership, even ahead of its introduction, using it to corner its political adversaries – National Conference and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

While PDP leadership is asserting that it will help ameliorate the plight of people in Chenab valley and Rajouri-Poonch sub regions of Jammu division with decentralisation of power leading to better administration, BJP is smelling a “sinister agenda” behind it.

The National Conference has accused the PDP of playing to the gallery just to “sabotage the initiatives of the NC government to empower sub-regions.”

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Sunday, while responding to media queries, regarding the PDP bill seeking new divisions and districts among Private Members’ Bill in the House, has come out with a cautious reply.

“National Conference has always favoured decentralisation of power. As far as PDP is concerned, it is playing to the gallery. It was in power with the BJP. Why did it not grant divisions and districts then to Chenab valley and Rajouri-Poonch then? Nevertheless, if a place deserves district status, as and when it happens in future, I, as MLA Nowshera, will plead the cause of my constituency,” he cautiously replied.

While Para’s bill seeking administrative divisions, districts is not there, his 3 others bills viz., seeking establishment of a residential and technical University in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, to be set up by utilizing the surplus funds of Kashmir Creative Educational Foundation, a Society, to offer higher learning in various streams; bill for vesting of ownership of State land in long-term occupants, regularisation of tourism-related land and other lands in possession and ensuring transparency and fairness in land ownership transfer in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and a bill seeking regularisation of adhoc, daily wagers, need based and other temporary workers figured in the listed business for the day.

Regularisation of services of casual and other workers working in various departments of the government of Jammu and Kashmir and for the matters incidental thereto has also been sought in the Private Members’ bills moved by CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami.

National MLAs Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah and Mubarak Gul have moved bills seeking complete ban on the import of frozen or chilled food items from outside the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in order to protect the local food industry and safeguard public health and stringent measures to prevent, detect and punish offences relating to unhygienic, rotten, and unsafe meat in J&K and to ensure accountability of all concerned authorities respectively.

NC MLA Ali Muhammad Sagar has sought complete ban on sale and consumption of liquor in J&K; his party colleague Sheikh Ahsan Pardesi has moved a bill providing for prohibiting the sale and use of alcoholic beverages in the Lal Chowk constituency.

PDP MLA Mir Mohammad Fayaz has also sought prohibition on the advertisement, sale, purchase, consumption and manufacture of alcoholic drinks in J&K through his bill while independent Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad has demanded complete ban on the sale, consumption, storage and transportation of liquor in the Kashmir Valley, in recognition of its social, religious, and security sensitivities.