No one in J&K to be forced to sell land: Govt
It said removal of restrictions will encourage industry and private investment, spurring growth and jobs, leading to prosperity for all.
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has assured the people of the state that they will not be forced to sell their land after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, under which the state enjoyed a special status within the Indian Union.
“Anyone who doesn’t want to sell his lands will have the full liberty not to do so. There will be no change in ownership due to the removal of Article 370,” said a government advertisement in Srinagar newspapers.
Titled “A single Constitution for the entire country: How will Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh benefit?”, the ad said land rates all over the country have increased manifold while those in J&K did not go up as much. “This will change in the days to come,” it said, adding that any landowner who wishes to sell his land would benefit from the increased prices.
“However, the fears of people about the loss of land and properties are not well founded,” it said, assuring the people that “there is no compulsion on anybody to part with his land”.
It further said that the application of Articles 370 and 35A placed restrictions on the transfer of land and as a result private investment in development work was severely hit. “No large industries developed in the state... no major investment in education, health or tourism. Consequently, employment opportunities especially for the youth remained restricted.”
It said removal of restrictions will encourage industry and private investment, spurring growth and jobs, leading to prosperity for all. “Industrialisation of the state will multiply job opportunities for local youth. Local horticulture and food processing will get a big boost — all small, medium and big farmers will benefit,” the ad said.
It went on to say that the “handicrafts industry, which was earlier limited to select destinations, will now be able to directly export and collaborate both nationally and internationally. Even poor artisans in villages will benefit.”
It claimed that the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A will also help towards giving a “big boost” to tourism and that the health and education sectors will also see a boom.