National Conference on Monday asked the government to stop forcibly acquisition of land form farmers in Kashmir.
In a statement, party’s south zone President Bashir Veeri said section 11 of J&K’s repealed Land Acquisition Act-1934 mandates the acquiring authority to complete the acquisition proceedings within a period of two years from the date of notification under section 4 of the Act.
“In the event of its failure to do so, the notification and the proceedings taken there under are to lapse,” he said.
Veeri said notification under section 4 for instance in case of village Wathoora in Budgam was issued on March 2017 and it was mandatory for the collector land acquisition Budgam to finalize the process and make an award on or before 20 March 2019.
However, he said, neither the award was approved by the competent authority nor published within the stipulated period as mandated under the repealed J&K Land Acquisition Act.
“Collector Land Acquisition Budgam did not at any point of time within the stipulated period of two years commencing from 20 March 2017 till today ever notified to the aggrieved farmers that any award was made by him in respect of their land intended to be acquired,” said Veeri.
He said after more than three years, the Financial Commissioner’s office has given approval to the so called award dated August 13 which is nothing but a “legal fraud”.
” If the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) pays four times more compensation to affected people and farmers in other states, why deprive the same in Kashmir where operational land holding is much less than other states of India?” Veeri questioned.