Fertile land must be protected in IIOJK, says Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti visited Puchal village in Pulwama district and highlighted concerns over proposed land acquisition by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) that locals say could threaten livelihoods dependent on horticulture.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mehbooba Mufti talking to reporters at the site, said: “This land is highly fertile; it must be protected, with so many almond and apple trees. Taking it away will destroy the only source of income for many families.”
She said that allocating land to Indian forces in the middle of inhabited villages was not appropriate and urged the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and ensure the land is protected for residents, noting that rising unemployment has made agriculture and horticulture critical for survival in rural Kashmir.
“Unemployment and population are growing day by day, and people are increasingly dependent on horticulture. If this land is taken from them, where will they go?” she said.
Mehbooba Mufti also referenced a land protection bill her party had introduced in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, aimed at safeguarding local land rights, which she said was dismissed by Chief Minister Abdullah.”
She said that the bill was aimed at ensuring the protection of land for the locals so that it could not be taken away in the name of a strategic area. She added that she would also take up the matter with India’s Defence Minister to seek a review of the proposal.
Local farmers said that the horticulture land in the karewas of Puchul and Lajura was being acquired by the BSF. They said that the acquisition of land would strip dozens of families of their livelihood.
