Demolition Drive: Structure raised illegally by NC leaders wife demolished at Humhama

Demolition Drive: Structure raised illegally by NC leaders wife demolished at Humhama

The authorities demolished an outer wall of senior National Conference (NC) leader Ali Muhammad Sagar’s house near the Srinagar Airport on Wednesday. Officials said that a team of the Revenue Department led a demolition drive to reclaim state land from the “encroachers”.

They said that the outer wall, the main gate as well as the entry of the guardroom of the NC General Secretary’s residence in Humhama, near the airport, were demolished as part of the government’s demolition drive against the “land grabbers”. Sources said that the former minister and his family currently reside in the house but were not present at the time of the demolition.

Officials said that Sagar’s Humhama home was allegedly in his wife’s name. “Saleema, wife of Ali Muhammad Sagar of Nawab Bazar is the recorded owner of land measuring 3 kanal 18 marlas under Survey No 1015 min of village Humhama. A residential house is built in the said Khasra No, which is proprietary in nature,” the officials said. “Saleema had encroached an area of land measuring 2 kanal under Khasra No 1016 min recorded as State land. The said person had built a building on the state land, which was demolished today in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. The compound wall built around the encroached land was also razed.”

A plank erected outside the house by officials declares it as part of the Khacharie land of district Budgam.

Sagar is the first big name being targeted by the demolition drive. The authorities have reiterated that the main target of the drive was to bring down “high-profile land grabbers”.

Meanwhile, a number of netizens welcomed the move of the administration. “That’s where the bulldozers should go… Spare the poor and spade the rich,” Bilal Baba tweeted.

Another netizen Imran Jeelani posted on Twitter, “When they were in power they did the same. Now it’s there turn and they have started crying already.”

Another netizen, Javaid Banday wrote: “Sir, pls keep eye on this whether this is only property of said person on state land /kahcharie or he has more. Hope action at all locations will be initiated (sic).”

Yet another netizen called for extending the demolition drive to other politicians.”Good. Appreciate this step. Check illegal encroachment of other ex-minister,” said another Twitter user.

Meanwhile, NC in a statement condemned the act and dubbed it as “political vendetta” and “misuse of government machinery”.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined to put a stop on the drive and provided relief to land owners under the Roshni Act.

The top court has asked the J&K government not to demolish any properties under the scheme till the next hearing on January 31.

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