Now, Army ‘Legally Owns Ladakh Land’

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

Former CM, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, inaugurating a public park in Tattoo ground, Batamaloo in 2015.

One day to go that army is supposed to vacate Tattoo ground in Srinagar’s Batamaloo area, the over 13 lakh force will legally own over five lakh kanals of J&K land.

The Tribune reported on Wednesday that the J&K government has “legally handed over 5 lakh kanals to the Army for setting up its bases, firing ranges and for other defence purposes in Ladakh”.

Now, army shall be setting up artillery firing range over 40,000 kanals at Mandal Thang in Leh district.

“We have given the approval to authorise 5 lakh kanals to the Army in Ladakh for defence purposes, including establishing bases and firing ranges,” The Tribune quoted a senior official in the Home Department as having said.

The J&K government, Deputy Secretary, Revenue, Ghulam Rasool, said, “had initiated the process to legally authorise the land to the Army that is under its unlawful possession.”

The revenue department wanted the Army to either vacate the land acquired unlawfully or provide rent to the government. After the Army refused to vacate the land acquired unlawfully, the “state government gave in and asked it to take its lawful possession for seeking compensation,” the report further said.

KL file Image of Tosa Maidan showing army barracks when it used the rich potential tourist resort as firing range.

In Leh, the Army had unlawfully taken possession of over 90,000 kanals of state land which made the total possession of land under its control to over 2 lakh kanals.

Army has also received approval from the state government for setting up an artillery firing range at Mandal Thang.

“The Army had been demanding land for setting up an artillery firing range at Mandal Thang and their demand has been accepted,” said District Development Commissioner Leh, Prasnna Ramaswamy G.

The Indian army has 12 of its total 66 firing ranges operating in J&K – the highest in any state.

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