Jammu, February 19 Taking a firm stand against encroachment on government land, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday assured action in the matter and said it would begin with influential violators before targeting the poor.
Concluding discussions on grants for his departments in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Abdullah said there was no disagreement over the need to remove encroachments, but stressed that the process must be fair and follow the advice given to departments.
"None of us is saying that action should not be taken against encroachers. One of the members, Sham Lal Sharma (BJP MLA), said while the bulldozers are used against the poor, the rich manage to escape; it reflects a long-standing practice that needs to be reversed. He has said the right thing," he said.
The chief minister asserted that the government would first move against powerful land grabbers who, he said, often shield themselves by aligning with political parties or leaders.
"When we initiate action, we must first proceed against the big land sharks and land grabbers who infiltrate different political parties and join leaders and manage to protect themselves," he said.
He assured the House that only after action against such influential encroachers would the government, if necessary, proceed against others, reiterating his commitment to an equitable and just approach.
Members from all parties had raised the use of bulldozers in Jammu and Kashmir against the poor and called for removing encroachments on government lands, starting from powerful people.