Srinagar, Feb 04 (KNS): Responding to the statement made against him by Vigilance Organization Kashmir (VOK) over forest land grab in Kulgam district, senior congress leader and former Minister, Taj Mohi-ud-din Thursday said that price of land in question was purchased by him in 1970 from Gulla Bhat who had also handed over the possession to him at the time of purchase.
Taj said when militancy broke out in 1990 in the Valley like all other politicians, he also left the Valley and stayed at Jammu upto 1994. During his stay at Jammu, he got the papers of the said land duly completed in all respects after following the procedure under section 4 and section 8 of Agrarian Reforms Act , which were personally delivered by Gulla Bhat at Jammu.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
He said that he again returned Srinagar in late 1994 and stayed at MLA hostel there. He wondered that nobody raised an issue during these 40 years ever since he bought this land.
He said he felt sorry for those people who claimed that the land was forest land but now are saying that it is no more a forest land. He hoped that the same people in future will say that the land transaction in this matter was transparent and followed due process of law.
The former Minister said that he apprehended the action of the VO may be politically motivated. He regretted that VO before framing the opinion didn’t speak to him even once or to any villager in the area where a piece of land is located. (KNS)