Jammu, Apr 16: The state is likely to put the eviction drives against nomad Gujjar and Bakarwal settlements on government land, particularly in Jammu, on hold apparently in the light of the set guidelines.
 Also such drives by various enforcement agencies in future would be conducted only in consultation with State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjar and Bakerwal that too when the  former would make adequate provisions for the  rehabilitation for the affected lot as per the set norms.
 Highly placed sources informed that the Board members, during 33rd meeting of the State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjar and Bakerwal held recently under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, expressed serious concern over frequent drives against nomadic population by the enforcement agencies.
 Pertinently, on April 10, 2012 Jammu Development Authority (JDA) Khilafwarzi team vacated about 274 kanal of government land in village Kirpalpur Phallayen Mandal Jammu despite stiff opposition from the affected nomadic families. Few days earlier, similar drive was conducted in village Ragoora Jammu.
 Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Board, Choudhary Bashir Naaz, told Greater Kashmir that Board members expressed serious concern over the issue following which the Chief Minister asked the concerned ministers and officers present in the meeting to put all such drives on hold immediately. 
 Naaz said that it was also proposed in the meeting that in future all such anti-encroachment drives would be conducted in consultation with the Advisory Board. It was further proposed that a colony should be developed by the government to rehabilitate these evicted people by providing them 10 marlas of land to construct houses.
 Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Board further added that such guidelines already exist but their implementation was lacking. “In future concerned departments will have to strictly adhere to the guidelines, and formal orders in this direction would be issued shortly after minutes of the meeting are finalized and approved”, averred Bashir Naaz.
 When contacted, vice-chairperson JDA Sarita Chouhan said that she was not present in the meeting of the advisory board. But she was informed that a member of the board raised the issue and proposed that a provision to provide 10 marla of land for rehabilitation of the evicted families after the vacation of the government land be made.
 “As minutes of the meeting are awaited, it is to be seen whether government will ask  JDA to put  the eviction drives on hold or just assured the board members while  taking cognizance of the issue,” said Chouhan.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST