Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba said the position of the government is that it does not have any land available in Srinagar, Pulwama and Budgam districts for setting up such a colony.
BJP on Saturday favoured setting up of Sainik Colony in Kashmir after its alliance partner PDP virtually rejected a proposal in this regard citing non-availability of land for non-state subjects.
“BJP is in favour of setting up Sainik Colony in Kashmir as well as resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits. If a Sainik Colony can be set up in Jammu, why not in Kashmir?” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.
He said BJP also favours early resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits who had to migrate out of the state in the wake of militancy in Kashmir.
On the establishment of Sainik Colony in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said her government has not issued any direction in this regard.
“No land has been identified yet for establishing Sainik Colony. No direction has been issued for establishing it. The Sainik Board which is registered under an Act (of state assembly) has by-laws which say that land can only be allocated to state subjects. How can you even talk about bringing in non-state subjects?” she said.
Mehbooba said the position of the government is that it does not have any land available in Srinagar, Pulwama and Budgam districts for setting up such a colony.
Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday hinted that her government might not create separate colonies or clusters for Kashmiri Pandits as proposed earlier.
Speaking in the state Legislative Assembly, Mehbooba said, “Kashmiri Pandits ko baizzat laayenge, yahan saath milkar rahenge (We will bring back Kashmiri Pandits with respect, we will live together here).”
She also stated that colonies to be built for retired military personnel or ex-servicemen will only be for state subjects and not for retirees from outside the state.
“Sainik colonies are not for outsiders but for state subjects only, this proposal has been in the process from the last government’s tenure,” the chief minister informed the Assembly.
“In our government tenure, the Governor ordered to identify land for Sainik colonies but so far no land has been identified,” she added.
Separatist leaders in Kashmir join hands against colonies for Pandits The remarks come just days after separatist leaders in Kashmir came together to oppose the setting up of “exclusive colonies” for Pandits (or Hindus) and retired military personnel.
It is for the first time since the 2008 Amarnath land agitation that the Kashmiri separatists, who are ideologically and politically divided, have joined hands.
As per reports, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had recently met to form a strategy against the PDP-BJP government’s “plans” to establish colonies for displaced Pandits and ex-servicemen of the state.
As per a Hurriyat Conference spokesperson, the trio have come together against proposed plans for “creation of the separate clusters for the Pandits and establishing of Sainik colonies”.
