Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 12: The anti encroachment drive conducted by the Jammu Development Department (JDA) at Roop Nagar drew strong criticism from the Congress party, which openly came in favour of the poor who were thrown out of their houses without serving them notice and left them without roof. “This Government led by LG has been working against the poor. We are in support of these families who had been living here for the last many decades and were thrown out of their houses by JDA and police. Their houses were demolished by JCBs,” said former Minister and senior leader Yogesh Sawhney.
He further said that it is very shocking that no prior notices were served to them and sudden action taken by the JDA is highly condemnable. “These families were living here for decades. Where was the administration when these families constructed their houses? This government has been acting like Pakistan’s dictatorship,” he said.
Attacking BJP leaders of JK UT, Yogesh Sawhney said that where is Ravinder Raina, who claims himself the sympathizer of poor and backward communities. “He speaks Gojri only to woo people of this community for his political gains bu ‘Throwing poor from their houses on the name of development not acceptable’
Meanwhile, another senior leader of Congress party and former Minister Raman Bhalla said that the Government should have adopted a sympathetic attitude in dealing with this matter. “Before evicting them, the Government should rehabilitate them. This is total injustice with the poor families who had been living here for decades,” Bhalla said.
He further said that the Government should make Smart City but not at the cost of poor. Government has been evicting them under the garb of development which is not a good thing. “People across UT have to come on the road for seek justice. Due to the absence of a popular government, their grievances are not being addressed by the LG administration,” he alleged, further adding that bureaucracy has become so powerful that the common man cannot get justice.
Pertinently, the District Administration Jammu had dismantled 17 structures and retrieved about 41 Kanals of prime JDA land at Sector No.6, in Upper Roop Nagar area of Jammu North. | 