Srinagar, July 15: The Select Committee constituted to scrutinize the Bill titled “Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition on Conversion of Agricultural Land for Non-Agricultural Purposes-2011” is likely to meet on Tuesday here and would hopefully recommend  ban on construction on agriculture land.
 The Bill “Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition on Conversion of Agricultural Land for Non-Agricultural Purposes-2011” was tabled in the Legislative Assembly in the last Budget session. As political parties differed on the draft of the Bill, the Speaker of the Assembly referred it to the Select Committee for its final recommendations.
 State Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla, who is heading the committee told Greater Kashmir  that unabated construction on agriculture land across the Valley, particularly on the city and town outskirts of the Valley is a grave concern for the government.  “The Select Committee will meet of Tuesday to take a final decision. We are analyzing all the factors and I am trying to build consensus over the issue,” he said and added that there is no doubt that land is definitely needed for developmental purposes, but from every nook and corner of the state unabated construction is going on. “The land exclusively classified for agricultural purposes needs to be protected from being used for other purposes,” he said and added that hopefully a blanket ban on construction on agricultural land would be recommended.
 From past some years the lush green countryside on the outskirts of Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir valley are fast vanishing as shopping malls, workshops, residential houses and industrial units are coming up at a fast pace,
 In 2009, Divisional Commissioner vide his order number Div.Com/LRS-VRD/S.133/239/07 dated 18-08-09, had directed all the Deputy Commissioners, to stop the further conversion of the Agriculture land. He had asked them to furnish a list of residential houses, commercial establishments, educational institutions, industries, private nursing homes, which have come up in the area from the past five years on agriculture land.
 The data available with J&K revenue department states that 151,352 hectares of land that used to be under cultivation in the state, a few decades ago, has now shrunk to 46,943 hectares. It adds that 80 per cent of Kashmir’s seven million people are directly or indirectly engaged in agriculture and allied sectors.
 The experts say that if the present pace of construction continues, Kashmir would soon become a concrete jungle. “Almond and cherry blossoms, mustard fields and the buzz of the honey bees would be relegated to the textbooks for posterity,” said Bashir Ahmad Shawl, who has served in agriculture department for 35 years.
 He said that Kashmiris cannot afford to lose all its agricultural land to Horticulture and residential or commercial areas. Shawl added that rice is the staple food for Kashmiris and it is a primary commodity here. “We are already importing more than 50 per cent of our rice," he said.
 Experts also say that horizontal expansion is prevalent in Kashmir and is proving quite disastrous. They added that unlike vertical expansion, horizontal one consumes additional space and construction material including timber.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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