The J&K government has started work on construction of transit camp for migrant employees working in different department here.
To begin with the district administration has asked theemployees occupying the government quarters at Khawjabagh here to vacate thestructures.
An official said thestructures owned by Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department are tobe demolished as the spot has been proposed for construction of the transitcamps.
The official said thestructures had been declared unsafe after the 2005 earthquake. However, somefamilies continued to live in the buildings.
“The officials have asked us to vacate the quarters,” AfaqAhmad Geelani, one of the inmates. “Our electricity connections have been cut.We don’t understand where we will go in this harsh winter.”
According to another inmate there were 35 families living inthe quarters. He said the authorities should give them some time to look foralternate accommodations.
An official at the Irrigation and Flood Control division saidthe quarters were unsafe and poses threat to the inmates.
“The occupants were served notice from time to time to vacatethese quarters. Some families continue to show resistance which is notacceptable” said Riyaz Ahmad, Executive Engineer, Flood and Control division.
He confirmed at least 40 kanals of land including the areawhere the quarters stand has been demarcated for the transit camp.
The department is in thepossession of around 111 kanals of land at Khawjabagh. While 76 kanals of thisland is located on the left side of Baramulla-Srinagaqr National Highway theremaining portion of the land is located on the other side of the highway.
During the previous government the administration hadidentified around 50 Kanals of land in Kanispora-Jahama for construction of thetransition camp.
The district administration had also issued a notification tothis effect. However, the proposal was later shelved by the authorities owingto unknown reasons. Later the land belonging to the Irrigation and FloodControl Division at Khawjabagh was identified for construction of the transitcamps.
The Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, GN Itoo, confirmed thearea at Khawjabagh has been demarcated for the transit camp for the migrantemployees.
“We are mulling to construct more than 250 residentialquarters for the migrant employees,” said Itoo.