Mehdi demands Social Impact Assessment for two new railway lines in IIOJK
New Delhi: Member of Parliament from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has raised concerns over the construction of two new railway lines in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and demanded Social Impact Assessment for both projects.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi also said projects are in violation of the Land Acquisition Act 2013, which mandates formal public notice and a social impact assessment before starting any project.
During the debate on the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Parliament, he said the two railway lines being assessed are from Awantipora to Shopian, which involves Pulwama district, and from Anantnag to Pahalgam. He said that these assessments were being conducted in these areas without prior notice or any social impact evaluation.
He highlighted the social impact of the projects and said that they would affect approximately 288 hectares of land, much of which was used for horticulture. “A Social Impact Assessment was supposed to be conducted for these projects but that was not done. “We also don’t know why these projects have been taken up,” Mehdi said.
Ruhullah Mehdi said the land being impacted is crucial for the region’s economy, as it involves orchards and agricultural land. “The land being impacted is crucial for the region’s economy, as it involves orchards and agricultural land. I also fail to understand whose demand it was. When I asked the people who came out to protest to save their fields and agricultural land, I found out that there was no local demand for this project,” he said.
“If the railway lines were being constructed for a legitimate purpose, the legal requirements for public notice and social impact assessment should have been fulfilled,” he said, adding that these steps were ignored, violating the law.
Aga Ruhullah further compared the project to a “colonial project” due to its disregard for democratic processes, public consultation, and local needs. He urged the government to address the concerns of those whose agricultural and horticultural lands are being impacted by the project.
