Some think only they possess right to build houses on Govt land: Sinha over criticism of PMAY scheme

SRINAGAR: Some people are upset by the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s decision to allot land to homeless families as they think only they possess the right over government properties, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday.

His comment came amidst criticism of the recent scheme to provide 150 sq yards of land to homeless people in the union territory.

“Some days back, the J&K administration decided that those without land will be eligible for PMAY and provided land. There is a policy in other states that they can be given land, but, there was no such policy in J&K. We decided to provide five ‘marlas’ or 150 sq yards of land to them,” he said while addressing the National Tribal Festival at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here.

The land is being provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY). So far 2,711 poor people have been given land so that they can build houses for themselves, he said.

“But, it has caused pain to some people. Those who have built their houses, and their relatives’ houses on government land, feel only they have the right to the government property and poor people should be stopped from using the government property.

“They should know that such an arrangement has ended. The system of discrimination ended on August 5, 2019, and it is the administration and the PM’s resolve that poor people of the country and J&K, Dalits and Adivasis, should have the first right on government resources. They have to understand this,” the LG said. (PTI)