Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Dec 26: Peoples Democratic Party leaders on Thursday opposed the government move to transfer 5000 kanal of land for setting up National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
As the government initiated the process to transfer 4,834 kanals and 19 marlas of state land for the establishment of a new campus for the (NIT) at Newa, PDP leaders Waheed Para and Iltija Mufti, termed acquiring thousands of kanals of land for the institution as “unacceptable.”
MLA Pulwama Waheed-ur-Rehman Para took to X and wrote :“Pulwama welcomes the establishment of an NIT, but seizing 5000 kanals of land is unacceptable. Without fair compensation and guaranteed jobs for locals, this project will face strong resistance.”
Party chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, voiced strong objections to the acquisition of 5000 kanals of land for the establishment of a new NIT campus in Pulwama.
In a post on X, she wrote, “Grabbing land in Kashmir under the ruse of ‘development’ in J&K continues unabated. Pray tell what’s the need to seize 5000 kanals of prime agricultural land in Pulwama to establish a NIT? If education was such a priority why have a lopsided reservation in the first place?”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner Pulwama formed a team including Naib Tehsildars from Newa and Kakapora, as well as revenue staff such as Girdawars and Patwaris from Trich, Parigam, Patalbagh, Kangan, and Newa to expedite the process of handing over the land to the NIT authorities.
