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JAMMU: The residents and landowners of Muradpur village in district Rajouri today submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha to express anguish over the forced acquisition of their ancestral land for the construction of a Court complex in the area. The landowners, a majority of whom are displaced persons from 1947, claimed that the land is their sole source of income and livelihood, urging the Lieutenant Governor to intervene and halt the acquisition and construction activities.
Speaking to reporters after submitting the memorandum, Mr. Rajiv Chuni, chairman of SOS International and representative of the affected landowners, including Sushil Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Ranjeet Singh, Krishan Lal, Des Raj, Rakesh Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Gulshan Kumar, Vikas Sudan, Vinod Kumar, Ved Raj, Daleep Kumar, Satinder Dev and Dharamvir expressed concern over the plight of the displaced persons, alleging that the authorities have acquired the land in the most unfair manner without consulting stakeholders.
âThis land has been their lifeline since 1947. The forced acquisition without proper notice or fair compensation is a grave injustice with the people who have already suffered badly due to their displacement in 1947. We urge the administration to reconsider its decision and ensure justice is delivered to the affected people,â Mr Chuni said.
Sharing further details, the senior refugee leader said, âThe disputed land, spanning 75 Kanals, 17 Marlas, and 6 Sarsai falls under Khasra Numbers 29, 30, 32, 33, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 47/1, 48, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, and 88 in Muradpur. These hapless people have been in possession of the land since their displacement and have relied on it as a primary means of sustenanceâ.
Mr Chuni alleged that the district administration acquired their land without prior notice or proper consultation. âThe acquisition process was non-transparent and that lands belonging to influential persons were exempted from the acquisition which is sheer injustice with the displaced persons from 1947,â he said.
He said the residents have raised concerns about the compensation offered, which they argued was grossly inadequate. âWhile the administration has proposed a compensation of Rs. 9.00 lakh per Kanal, the local residents claim that the prevailing market rate, as per revenue authorities in 2018, stands at Rs. 1.40 crore per Kanal. The government must either halt the acquisition and construction of the Court complex immediately or ensure that compensation is provided in line with the current market rate,â the senior refugee leader said.
He said the major demands raised by local residents include the immediate suspension of the Court complex construction on their irrigated land to prevent environmental and livelihood damage and immediate cancellation of land acquisition because of unfair practices and lack of consent. He requested the Lieutenant Governor to sympathetically look into the genuine and legitimate demands of the displaced persons from 1947, and direct for necessary action without any delay.
The Lieutenant Governor paid patient hearing to the delegation and issued telephonic instructions to the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, directing him that land allotted to refugees should remain undisturbed. The Lieutenant Governor further directed the acquisition of only those land parcels that do not belong to the refugee community.
