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| Transfer of Property (Amendment) Bill passed | | NC responsible for surrender of resources to NHPC-PDP | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 10: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Saturday passed the controversial J&K Transfer Of Property (Amendment) Bill 2012, thereby paving way for leasing out the land to Joint Venture Company (JVC) comprising on NHPC, PTC and J&K PDC for construction of three Hydroelectric Power Projects of Pakaldul, Keru and Kewa of the aggregate capacity of 2020 MWs.
Though the opposition People's Democratic Party opposed the Bill tooth and nail and also brought some amendments to the Bill, however, the amendments were not accepted by the government hence the Bill. Congress legislators Ab. Majeed Wani, G M Saroori, Mohammad Sharif Niaz and G A Mir also moved amendments to the Bill seeking transfer of land to the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation instead of Chenab Valley Power Projects (Private) Limited besides fixing the period of lease at 40 years instead of 90 years but the Revenue minister Raman Bhalla did not accept the amendments, however, the maximum period of lease was brought down to 40 years.
Opposing the Bill Nizamuddin Bhat of PDP said that Transfer of Property Act governs the rules of mortgage, borrowings etc. but there is a law operational in the state since 1927 which deals with the Transfer of immovable property and section 140 of that law deals with the amendments proposed from time to time to lease out the land to non state subjects on certain conditions. We understand the precedents but this is a very sensitive issue which involves the special identity and the sentiments of the people which cannot be compromised at all. "There is already atmosphere against NHPC and the government itself has rose the expectations of the people by claiming to buy back the power projects run by NHPC and under these circumstances the spirit and the essence of the law is that we should not transfer the land directly to the Joint Venture Company and then if you lease out it for 90 years you are making anfractuous the very purpose of the law on the shallow argument that we don't have financial backing, Bhat said. While questioning the very intensions of the government Bhat said that why the government was seeking transfer of land now when the memorandum of understanding has been signed three years back. "Is it the wisdom that you ignored the basic requirement at the time of entering into agreement three years back, you are fiddling with the sentiments of the people, you don't have unanimity you cannot hold us ransom" Bhat said adding that if the government has any respect for the laws governing the state subject issues and if it has any commitment, the Bill should go to the public domain "public has the right to know impression is important because you have lost the credibility".
While participating in the discussion A R Veeri said that water resources have become part of political discourse in the state and the civil society has already expressed its concern over the intent and purpose of this Bill, so the issue involves the socio economic future which is directly linked to the management of water resources. PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti speaking on the occasion said that unlike past we have to stand to safeguard the interests of the people of the state and for that the regional political parties have to assert. "Resources are our own asset and we have to safeguard the interests of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladhakh by asking for restoration of our rights which we have lost over our resources due to the appeasement policy of the successive National Conference governments in the past. Alleging that water resources of the state were surrendered by the National Conference first in 1952 by NC through inter domain agreement which was ratified in 1960 by other government in the form of Indus Water Treaty and the process of sell out was then unending. She said that the development process in the state was very slow because the resource mobilization was minimal and whatever the state had in form of water resources it was handed over to the Central government.
The PDP legislators later pressed for their amendments which speaker put to voice vote that led to the fall of proposed amendments.
On the other hand Congress legislators withdrew their amendments on the insistence of the Revenue minister and supported the Bill in the original form, however, period of lease was limited to 40 years as compared to 90 years proposed in the original Bill. |
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