Srinagar: The PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday made it emphatically clear that no Sainik Colony is being constructed for the former soldiers of the Indian Army and their families in summer capital Srinagar or elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley. It said that no land has been allotted or even identified for the purpose.
Read: BJP contradicts PDP, wants establishment of Sainik Colony in Kashmir
It seems the government has in view of its political fallout and potential disturbances abandoned the proposal of setting up a Sainik Colony in Srinagar which had been fast-tracked when the State was under Governor’s rule earlier this year. The Governor’s administration had asked the concerned officials to identify land in Srinagar and neighbouring Budgam district for Sainik colonies to house troops and their families.
Read: ‘My tweets prick you’: Omar Abdullah tells Mehbooba Mufti over Sainik Colony issue
Earlier in April 2015, the Rajya Sainik Board (RSB), headed by Governor NN Vohra, had approved establishment of a Sainik colony close to Srinagar’s old airport and subsequently 21.6 acres of land were identified for it and the proposal was sent to then Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, for his approval.
In August 2015, the board, however, sent a second note to the State’s Home Department, seeking more land as 26 senior officers, 125 junior commissioned officers and over 900 soldiers had applied for allotting them plots of land in the proposed colony, requiring a total of 44 acres of land. In turn the Home Department sent letters to the deputy commissioners of Srinagar and Budgam asking them to “furnish requisite information” regarding the allotment of land “at the earliest.”
The idea of setting up Sainik colonies in Srinagar and elsewhere had actually been mooted by BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay in May last year to accommodate soldiers and families of those killed in the line of duty. Later Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, told Parliament that since allotting land was a state subject the matter has been forwarded to Jammu and Kashmir government.
Back in Kashmir Valley, the issue began to snowball into a major political controversy with separatists threatening to launch an agitation against the proposed Sainik Colony on the plea this would be a violation of Article 370 and the State Subject Law of 1927 which bars non-J&K residents from owning immovable property in the State. Though at one point that government had sought to clarify that only the soldiers who are permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir will be provided accommodation in the Sainik Colony, it has now categorically stated that no such colony will be set up in Srinagar or elsewhere in the Valley.
Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday told the State Assembly, now in its budget session here that no Sainik Colony is coming up in any part of Kashmir. “I want to make it clear that the Army is not constructing any Sainik Colony in Kashmir. They have and may be constructing accommodation at the land already under their use... these constructions are in no way linked to the Sainik Colony as is being projected by certain quarters”, she said
Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCC), a local pressure group, had earlier on Sunday asked whether the land on which over 700 flats being constructed by the Army at Srinagar Old Air Field area is the same land which has been requisitioned by it to raise a Sainik Colony.
“The Chief Minister and other concerned officials should explain whether these buildings are part of the same Sainik colony for which Army is seeking land. If it is not part of the proposed Sainik colony, the government and the Army should clarify the status of this upcoming colony inside the Old Air Field,” it said adding that a probe should be ordered whether Army authorities have misled the Jammu and Kashmir government or whether the representatives of Jammu and Kashmir government are themselves lying.
The issue was raised in the Assembly by independent MLA Sheikh Abdur Rashid, who while waving a copy of a newspaper stormed into the well of the House and sought a statement from the government on the issue. “Last time the Chief Minister said there was no Sainik Colony being set up in the Valley and now we have this report. What is the truth?" he asked.
The House witnessed noisy scenes over the issue during which Chief Minister Mufti and her predecessor and opposition National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah sparred. The Chief Minister accused the opposition and some media outlets of raising a "non-issue" which can lead to disruption of peace in the State. She lashed out at Mr. Abdullah for his tweets but the former Chief Minister hit back, saying it was to make her accountable and he won't back down from speaking on issues of public interest through the social media.
The JKCC had in its statement referred to Mr. Abdullah’s May 7, 2016 tweet in which he had shared on the micro-blogging site a government document regarding the confirmation of the allotment of 173 Kanals (21.6 acres) of land at the old Air Field area for construction of the Sainik Colony.
An agitated Ms. Mufti said there was no truth in the story as the photograph published with the latest report in the newspaper was that of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) quarters being constructed for married serving personnel of the unit. “I do not know what these newspapers want? Do they want to put the state on fire? They should have investigated before publishing the story,” she asked. She added, “The opposition members bring in these newspapers which I will not name as they want to get publicity. If anyone tries to disrupt peace, they will be dealt with sternly."
Targeting her predecessor, she said that despite having been in the chair earlier, he has been tweeting about the issue. "Omar Abdullah attended four meetings (of the Sainik Board as Chief Minister) and in all four meetings, he directed that land be identified for setting up of the Sainik Colony,” she said. "Now, there is tweet, tweet, tweet," she said about the former chief minister frequently using the social media to put forth his opinions.
Responding to her charge, Mr. Abdullah said he has never denied being part of the meetings for setting up of Sainik Colony but had never passed any order like the one he had posted on twitter earlier last month. "If there is any such order issued during my tenure, please bring it forth. If you are here for welfare of the people, I am also here so that people are benefited," he said. He added, “I think when the Chief Minister is talking about setting the state on fire, she is confusing herself with me. My tenure is witness.... If we follow your footsteps, the state will be on fire."
Earlier Ms. Mufti said that constructions have been going on for decades in the areas which have been allotted to the Army and other security forces for their staff and the families and by playing up the pictures of some residential accommodation in the newspapers, which already exist in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir, an attempt is being made to provoke the situation and create trouble, which won’t be allowed.
She alleged that the recurrent reports springing up in this regard seem to be the part of a desperate and sustained campaign by certain quarters to destabilize the situation and put Kashmir on fire again. “It is highly unfortunate that at a time when the tourism activity has started picking up in Kashmir and the slumped economy is slowly rejuvenating, a sustained campaign has been launched by certain quarters to dish out concocted and inflammatory reports to provoke the situation,” she said.
She also said that first Sainik Colonies were established in the State by the then Chief Minister and Mr. Andullah’s grandfather, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, in Jammu and the Army had no role in their construction.
Meanwhile, the Army on Monday sought to clarify that the land on which construction activity is in progress, is ‘defence land’ which is inside the existing Old Air Field Military Station. “Presently construction of Married Accommodation Project is under progress inside the Old Air Field Military Station. The new construction is purely meant for the serving Army personnel and being constructed under supervision of Station Headquarters to meet the accommodation requirements of the Army units located in this area. This construction activity has absolutely nothing to do with the Sainik Colonies ,which is a State subject and Army has no role in it,” it said.
However, the government has also said that ‘transit colonies’ for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits are being set up in the Valley. At the same time, it explained that these will not be like Israel type settlements in occupied Palestine but composite clusters which will have people as inhabitants from other faiths as well. It reiterated that the proposal of building transit accommodations for Pandits has been approved by (Prime Minister's) working groups (on J&K) and that the State government is committed to bring the Kashmir’s Brahmin Hindu population known as Pandits back to their place of origin.
