Fruit growers and farmers in Jammu and Kashmir have alleged that presence of troops on their land has not only affected their produce during the past 17 years but have also left lakhs of people unemployed.
The Centre had formed an expert panel headed by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt to see if there was need to relocate and reconfigure the troops, but the fruit growers in the Valley say nothing has been done to vacate the soldiers.
"I was hopeful to get my land back but I see no such steps being taken," said Mohammad Yousuf Dar, whose three-acre apple orchard once gave him a profitable produce.
"Now my orchard has turned into a graveyard of trees," he said.
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had earlier said that the army has already been withdrawn from nine orchards. But the fruit growers said it was not enough.
"As per my knowledge no orchard has been vacated," said Ghulam Rasool Bhat, president of Jammu and Kashmir Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association.
According to him, 15,777 canals of land in Kashmir is under the occupation of security forces.
"Out of these 15,777 canals, a very nominal compensation is paid for 4,167 canals and the rest are forcefully occupied," he claimed.
"During the past 17 years, fruit growers in the valley have suffered losses in millions. More than five lakh people have been affected by the army's forceful occupation," said Sheikh Abdul Khaliq, president of All Jammu and Kashmir Farmers' Association.
They allege that the state and central governments are adopting double standards on land acquisition in the country.
"When only a few hundred canals of land were being occupied by the government to create a SEZ in Nandigarm in West Bengal, the whole country protested forcing the government to stop the acquisition. But for the past 17 years our land have been forcefully occupied and no one is bothered," said Mushatq Ahmed Tantray, whose land has been allegedly under an army camp in Watergam village in Baramulla district.
Said Sheikh Ghulam Qadir, vice president of South Kashmir Fruit Growers' Association: "My orchard was occupied by security forces way back in 1990 and I haven't received a single penny. My family is suffering."
When contacted defence PRO Lt Col A K Mathur said: "The land is allotted to the army by the defence estate officer who keeps all records of compensation and other details. We do not go and settle these matters on our own."
Meanwhile, a top army officer, requesting anonymity, said: "We do not have a problem in vacating the land provided we get orders for that."
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