Opposing the move to establish Army firing range in Akhnoor, the residents of the erstwhile area today protested in huge numbers under the leadership of Sham Lal Sharma Sr. Vice President JKPCC & Ex Minster Congress and blocked highway for 4 hours. The villagers said the proposal would be a threat to the lives of thousands of people and their property.Sham Lal Sharma who was leading the protest lambasted on BJP MLA'S,M.P's and Ministers and said without their consent this SRO 462 wouldn't have been published, which clearly stated that any type of land either agricultural or non agricultural can be used by Army for firing range or other warfare purposes.Sham lal termed it as "A Forced acquisition". Where the acquiring authority has formed the intention to acquire agricultural land, regardless of how the person whose land is ought to be acquired is affected."This land acquisition is not at all ethical and is the result of a "Game plan" of BJP where not only BJP MLA's but BJP cabinet minister's are equally responsible in creating this "DO or Die" situation for the people of Akhnoor",he added.
Sham lal said BJP has backstabbed people of akhnoor as the notification which was taken out was published in such a way that it could not catch enough public attention, this was intentionally done in order to escape any public objections which further proved to be a hassle free procedure for land acquisition by Army.He further said that the people to whom the land in question belongs to a poor family and their livelihood mainly depends on the produce of land.He said that the concerned people are having very meager portion of land on which they are fully dependent. The people of Akhnoor have faced the brunt of all Indo Pak wars thus their present economic condition is very bad.
Sham further said that not an inch of land will be allowed to acquire forcibly. In response to ordinance of Land Acquisition passed during Congress regime no agricultural land can be acquired forcibly without the expressed consent of its owner.Sham lal sharma also presented the memorandum to Governor, Div. Com, DC Jammu through SDM Akhnoor against this forcibly land acquisition.Those who spoke on this occasion are Sdr. Manjeet Singh Gen. Secretary JKPCC & Ex Minster, Kuldeep Raj Verma Ex Vice Chairman OBC, Ram Swaroop, Subash Langer Conveynor, Block Congress Committee, Sarpanch's, Chairman Judicial committee, Panch's and prominent Congress workers. (KNS)