Srinagar, Oct 23 : PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said in a press conference that the Assembly session had begun in a constructive atmosphere, but several issues still need urgent attention. She said that bills concerning land rights and the regularisation of daily wagers must be passed to protect the interests of local residents and workers.
Speaking about the Assembly, Mehbooba said that the government has put local landowners at risk by threatening to cancel leases and transfer properties to outsiders. “The leases of many hotels in Kashmir are under threat. Hotel owners who have operated for decades are being told their leases will be terminated and auctioned,” she said. She added that the main issue after the removal of Article 370 was protecting Jammu and Kashmir’s land, and the recent actions undermine that purpose.
Mehbooba said her party has introduced a bill in the Assembly to regularise ownership of houses, shops, and hotels for locals. “Poor people with houses and shops should get ownership. Similarly, hotels run for generations should not be taken away from local owners,” she said as per KNS.
She said she had requested support from National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah to ensure the passage of these bills. “I spoke to Dr. Farooq to help us pass our bill. The National Conference has a majority in the Assembly. When I presented the bill, it was called ‘Land Jihad’ by some, but we hope it will be supported,” she said.
Mehbooba also addressed voting in the Assembly, saying the PDP will support NC candidate Shammi Oberoi as a third preference to prevent the BJP from gaining ground. “We are giving our three votes to the NC’s third candidate. This is to ensure that if the BJP wins the fourth seat, blame is not placed on us,” she said.
The PDP president spoke about the bill concerning daily wagers, noting that workers in various departments, including PHE, R&B, Irrigation, Health, and Education, have been working for 20 to 25 years without proper pay. “Their services should be regularised, and our bill will address that,” she said.
She said that the National Conference must ensure both the Land Rights Bill and the bill for daily wages are passed in the Assembly to protect locals and daily wage workers.(KNS)
