In a wide-ranging speech delivered in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today, MLA Handwara and Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone addressed several critical issues affecting the Union Territory, calling for significant reforms in administration, urban development, and tourism while highlighting disparities in policy implementation.
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Lone began by questioning the intrusive nature of police verification procedures managed by the General Administration Department (GAD).
“I downloaded the form from the internet and was surprised to see it asks where you went for the past five years, where your wife went for the past five years, who your father-in-law is, who your mother-in-law is,” Lone stated.
He emphasized that there should be “a distinction between a civilian department and a police department,” urging the Chief Minister, who is also the minister in charge, to reconsider these long-standing practices that appear “more police in nature than civilian.”
๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฌ
Addressing terminations carried out during the Centre’s rule, Lone advocated for due process.
“Will there be any review of this? Is there any roadmap to reinstate them in service or give them an opportunity?” he questioned. “If someone was dismissed, they should be told why and allowed to defend themselves. They weren’t given any chance to defend themselves,” he argued, calling for justice for those affected.
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Lone highlighted a stark disparity in the issuance of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates between regions. “Our per capita income in Jammu and Kashmir is the same. Economic indicators are the same, yet in Jammu they’ve given 27,000 or 22,000 certificates, while in Kashmir only 2,700,” he pointed out.
“The onus is on the Tehsildars who rejected applications. On what basis did they reject them when we are two parts of the same state with the same indicators? Our children are being left behind.”
๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐
“Jammu and Kashmir has become a hub for experimentation,” Lone lamented, specifically criticizing the trend of outsourcing.
“My request is, please desist from outsourcing. This doesn’t happen across India, but they started it here first,” he noted, suggesting potential vested interests within the bureaucracy.
“This outsourcing is sometimes costlier, but they choose outsource agents because I believe there’s a vested interest. I’m not accusing anyone, but somewhere in the bureaucracy, this exists.”
๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ
Addressing the diminished role of MLAs following the transition to Union Territory status, Lone called for enhanced Constituency Development Funds (CDF).
“After becoming a UT, there’s been a perception loss for MLAs. Who are these people? UT’s MLAs? I think we need to top it up with some CDF. If we work, people will feel we are MLAs. Otherwise, currently, it doesn’t seem so.”
๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก-๐ข-๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
Lone, in the presence of the Minister of Education, urged the Chief Minister to intervene regarding the matter of students from Falah-i-Aam Trust schools.
“Their students aren’t being allowed to sit for J&K Board exams. There are security implications because they’re linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, but this affects thousands of children who will face problems,” he emphasized.
๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
In his address, Lone called for a complete transformation in urban development approaches. “Nothing short of a revolution will help. Whether it’s JDA or SDA, these are engines of development for infrastructure. They will generate jobs and enterprise in urban centers,” he declared.
“I request the Honorable Chief Minister to clear the misunderstanding that the alphabet ‘D’ in JDA and SDA stands for demolition, not development,” Lone stated pointedly. “They are very happy in demolition and have a sense of entitlement. And honestly, it’s highly over-regulated. This needs to change, and they must understand development is their sole motive.”
Advocating for vertical development, Lone stated, “We need to go vertically up. If we had reserved five thousand kanals for high-rises 20-30 years ago, land that costs 5 crore today wouldn’t even cost 1 crore.”
He noted that “60% of Srinagar land is under setbacks. In Jammu, it’s lessโleave 10 feet here, 10 feet there.”
He referenced international examples, saying, “Once, I met the Chief Minister by chance on Oxford Street, and I thought if SMC officials came here, they’d demolish everything because of fire gaps.”
๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
Addressing environmental concerns, Lone questioned the effectiveness of existing protections:
“Despite the greenbelt, Dal Lake is shrinking. Is it working or not? The greenbelt was established in 1951, and since then, science has advanced and things have changed, but nothing has changed since 1951.”
He advocated for balanced development while stating, “Kashmir is very beautiful, but not so beautiful that you can’t have toilets for tourists. You have to develop it. You have to make it beautiful.”
Regarding master plans, Lone argued for flexibility. “Let the master plan not be the word of God. Let it not be a lie. Why can’t this master plan be changed? Keep a committee. If someone is aggrieved, they should be able to submit an application.”
Moreover, he criticized restrictive hotel definitions, saying, “They’ve changed the definition of a hotel in the last five yearsโnow a hotel must have at least four kanals of land. This means 95% of the population cannot open hotels. 99% of hotels in India are on less than one kanal.”
“Outside investors will come, buy land worth 20 crore, spend 30 crore more, create a bill of 50 crore, we’ll give them subsidies, they’ll leave with the profit, and the local poor will never become hotel owners,” he warned of the consequences.
Lone concluded his address with a plea for inclusive development, stressing the importance of changing the definitions of hotels.
“It will allow low-income and poor people to have homestays and guesthouses. If there’s any illegality, SDA or the municipality should demolish it. And if they’re not demolishing it, at least allow them to use it. Don’t tell them to get NOCs. I’m very passionate about this. I just hope you make decisions.”
