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| Army's transit camp vacation hangs fire for 18 years | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 23: Despite the passage of 18 years, when in 1993 the demand for vacating 16 acres of land occupied by the Army for further expansion of Jammu university was raised, the issue has remained unsettled.
It was in late February 2003 that the Army had agreed to vacate over 16 acres of land adjacent to Jammu university. But the Army's nod was conditional. It wanted the state Government to allot land somewhere near Bhatindi for setting up the transit camp. This assurance from the Army authorities had been given to the then Chief Minister, Mufti Mohd. Sayeed, during a day-long civil-military liaison conference held in Jammu towards the end of February 2003..
The Mufti had been assured that the area would be cleared of Army occupation by middle of 2004-2005. And accordingly the Revenue Department had been directed to allot suitable land near Bhatindi to the Army for construction of a transit camp.
Official sources said that Mufti Sayeed had pleaded with the Army commanders that since the Jammu university needed land for construction of various faculty complexes the land under their occupation be vacated as soon as possible.
Sources said that earlier the Army was reluctant in vacating the land on which its has built its transit camp because of its proximity to the railway station and the city. In addition to this the Army treated the area as the most safe belt in the state's winter capital. However, later it agreed to vacate the area when the state Government raised the issue with the Defence Minister.
Army sources said that it was the state Government that was responsible for delay in settling the issue. In support of their contention they said that since the state authorities had not identified the land "we need for raising the transit camp we are not able to vacate the area."
However, Government sources said that since the Army wanted more than 16 acres of land for the new transit camp "it has become difficult for us to identify such a large chunk of land at and around Bhatindi." They said that since the Army was not prepared to set up the transit camp in an area which over is 10 kms from the railway station it may take time for the Government officials to find out the land and acquire it in case there was no Government land available.
Senior functionaries of the University of Jammu said that "our plan for adding new faculties has been delayed because we do not have sufficient land for constructing new faculty complexes." They said that expansion and development of the academic activities in the university was linked with the allotment of additional land for the project. They hoped that the state Government would be able to identify the land where the Army could set up its transit camp.
Meanwhile, Jammu University Teachers Association has appealed to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, that he should intervene in the matter so that the state Government lost no time on identifying land where the Amy could set up the transit camp thereby allowing the university to expand its academic activities. |
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