Srinagar June 15 (KNS)   : Apni Party State Secretary Muntazir Mohi-ud-Din on Wednesday said that the people who are cultivating the land for farming at Rakh Arath and adjoining areas of central Kashmir’s Budgam district should not be deprived of a fair compensation while the government retrieves the land from their possession for the construction of Ring Road.

In a statement issued to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Muntizir said, “A large chunk of land at Rakh Arath and adjoining areas is principally the property of the department of agriculture, but it has been in the possession of the local farmers for a long time. And, as per the deal farmers give one fourth of their produce to the department and keep the rest to feed their families. This practice has been going on for decades. Now, the government is reclaiming some of this land for the construction of Ring Road, and rightly so. However, the government should ensure the occupants of the land are not deprived of fair compensation.”

He added, “The livelihood of hundreds of families from the villages —such as Narbal, Sozeth, suibugh, Margalan,Darmuna,Wadwan,Waminu,Gota Pora,Churpora,Razwan and so on — is directly dependent on this land, which has been in the possession of even their ancestors. These families should get a proper compensation of their land while the government takes its possession from them.”

The Apni Party leader further said that there are several court judgments that acknowledge the fact that occupants of the land are entitled to proper compensation in case the government wants to retrieve their land due to any reason.

He added, “The villagers who are going to lose their land, which is the only source of their income, should be compensated as per the market rates.”

He assured the villagers that the Apni Party will stand with these farmers to ensure they get their due rights in terms of fair compensation.(KNS)