Since the past 2 decades, security agencies, stationed at Marwah village of Kishtwar district, have not paid rent for the nursery land they occupied in 1998, officials said.
To an RTI filed by this correspondent, the chief horticulture officer, Kishtwar, replied: “31 kanal and 16 marla nursery area is under occupation of security agencies since 1998 and no rent has been paid till date.”
The chief horticultural officer (CHO), Kishtwar, S K Gupta, told Greater Kashmir, “There are three nurseries under the supervision of horticulture department in Kishtwar district. Among these, the one present in block Marwah of Kishtwar has a total area of 39 kanal and 16 marlas, out of which 31 kanal and 16 marlas has been occupied by the security agencies since 1998. The rent for the land has not been paid since 1998 and the amount is almost Rs 40 lakh,” he added.
Resenting the presence of security agencies in the area, president of Marwah Bachao Tehreek Sheikh Zafarullah, said, “If the army vacates the land, it will benefit the locals as well as the farmers. Army has occupied 80 percent on the land and vacating it will mean that the locals can utilize the fertile land for irrigation.”
Meanwhile, the Jammu-based spokesman of the army, Lt Col Devender Anand, refused to talk about the issue.
On being contacted by this correspondent, colonel Mitikesh of 11 RR in Kishtwar, said that he will forward the matter to the concerned authorities. “It will be looked into as soon as possible,” he added.