Jammu, March 24 J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday that Rs 144 crore have been disbursed among villagers as compensation for their lands coming under the border fencing.
Responding to supplementary questions in the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister said that people living in border villages are facing numerous challenges and his government will convene a meeting of MLAs from border areas in April to address their issues.
The Chief Minister was replying to questions from MLAs from different parties regarding concerns raised by border residents.
“This is a humanitarian issue. Border residents face numerous challenges. After the Assembly session ends, a meeting with all border area MLAs will be held. I will convene a meeting with all MLAs representing border areas along with officials. The government will take whatever steps are necessary,” he said.
Several BJP members, including Vijay Kumar, Surjit Singh Salathia, Devinder Kumar Manyal, and CPI M member M.Y. Tarigami, raised issues related to land compensation, agricultural activities by locals before fencing and poor conditions of border hamlets.
A heated exchange of words also took place between Tarigami and BJP MLA Balwant Manokita, who alleged there is no border area in the constituency of Tarigami and is asking questions about border areas of Jammu.
Tarigami countered him by saying he can raise questions about any area and Jammu does not belong to him (Balwant Manokita) alone.
The Chief Minister said Rs 155.08 crore has been allocated as compensation, out of which Rs 144.12 crore has already been disbursed to landowners, with the remaining amount pending title verification.
“We are not sitting on funds. Rs 11 crore remains unspent in the disbursement process. We will instruct the department to expedite the disbursement efforts on a fast track. The border issue is not just one MLA’s concern but is a broader concern for people living in border areas, whether in Jammu or the Kashmir Valley,” the Chief Minister said.
Earlier, responding to a question from Hiranagar MLA Vijay Kumar during the Question Hour, Minister for Revenue Sakina Itoo informed that the BSF has acquired 13,415 kannals of land across 113 villages in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts of Jammu division for border fencing along the Indo-Pak border.
She said the BSF has laid fencing along a 135-foot-wide strip in these border districts.
The border fencing is constructed along the international border and also along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K to check the infiltration of terrorists from across the border.
Lands close to the border fencing have become uncultivable and for these lands farmers are given cash compensation.
--IANS
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