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| Leaders of one party, workers of other reach secret deal | | Marhama wetland scam | |
Mustansir
Srinagar, Aug 9:The ruling National Conference and Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are on a war path over an alleged wetland scam in South Kashmir's Marhama village with the former accusing the latter of direct involvement in conversion of wild life sanctuary (wetland) for commercial purposes at the cost of the local populace and vice versa. Over 500 acres of wetland in village Marhama in Anantnag district, have been clandestinely grabbed by a group of land grabbers enjoying political patronage. Though both NC and PDP are engaged in fresh verbal spate accusing each other of patronizing the land mafia, however, the fact remains that both are directly or indirectly involved in the scam. While the mafia owes it allegiance to opposition PDP, the NC controlled administration has made false entries in the revenue records and have transferred around 500 acres of land belonging to the wild life department in the names of Yesir Reshi, son of Mohmmad Yousf Reshi of Hilalabad Nesabal, Sonawari, Srinagar, Abdul Majid Sheikh, son of Ghulam Ahmad Sheikh of Tengpora, Srinagar, and Mukhtar Ahmad Sheikh, son of Ghulam Ahmad Sheikh of Nowgam, Srinagar. Sources said that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah during his visit to South Kashmir on August 7, made it a point to visit Marhama on the pretext of inaugurating a Receiving Station which was actually commissioned in December last year. The agitating villagers who are opposing the conversion of the wetland for commercial purposes met chief minister the other day at Srinagar. Reports said the villagers sought intervention of Chief Minister to stop the land mafia from filling the wetland and pledged that if the marshy land is filled the entire village will submerge which will endanger the life and property of hundreds of inhabitants. Besides, they pleaded that the wetland has been a home for thousands of migratory birds during winters and if the land is filled, hundreds of migratory bird species will become homeless.
The villagers allege that a senior PDP leaders and MLAs of Dewsar and Bijbehara constituencies have put their weight behind the land grabber who himself is a PDP worker and has contested two elections so for on PDP ticket but was unsuccessful. However, PDP accuses the National Conference of indulging in worst kind of politicking to score brownie points. According to the party insiders, PDP has nothing to do and the person in question has purchased the land in his personal capacity. Sources said that local NC leader and MLC, Dr. Bashir Veeri assured the villagers that he will not allow the land mafia to fill the land. This evening Veeri showed the documents pertaining to the transfer of and subsequent permission for filling of the wetland to the press and alleged the PDP leaders were involved in land grabbing. Sources said that the land mafia has even utilized the services of a local political worker who has earned a bad nam, Ab. Gani Bhat to use him as a weapon against the innocent villagers. Despite the fact that the department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing has certified that the land in question is wetland/marshy land spread over 500 acres in a linear shape, Gani has signed a deed on behalf of the villagers with the grabbers stating therein that the land in question will be used for construction of godowns. The deed is witnessed by MLA Dewsar. But the local NC workers namely Ghulam Nabi Bhat Qaim, Bashir Ahmad Badhu, Ghulam Mohammad Qasim and Ghulam Rasool Bhat are reportedly the immediate beneficiaries of the secret deal and have reportedly taken money from the mafia for allowing the land to be filled. A local privy to the developments said that it was a unique equation between the arch rivals. He said leaders from one party and workers from the other have minted money from the mafia. |
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