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SRINAGAR

Peoples Democratic Party Monday said that not a single non-local trooper working or retired from Indian Army will be allowed to settle in ‘Sainik Colony’ proposed to come up at Humhama in the outskirts of Srinagar city. “If ever a colony will come up, only those troopers and ex-servicemen will settle there who will be the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. It will be totally against the spirit of special status of Jammu and Kashmir if any non-local trooper will be allowed to settle their permanently,” PDP spokesperson Dr Mehboob Beg told CNS adding that settling of Indian troops in Kashmir, raising questions over the credentials of Article 370 and challenging Article 35 A of the Constitution are all inconceivable and unthinkable metaphors.

Reportedly 173 kanals (21 acres) of land have been identified for the “Sainik Colony, where serving and retired army personnel will be allotted plots. About 6,000 serving and retired troops have so far applied for plots at the colony, proposed on state land behind the Friends Enclave near the main gate of Srinagar Airport.

PDP spokesperson said that wrong information is being spread that non-state subject people working in Indian Army or retired will be allotted plots. “It is dead impossible. A non-state subject cannot settle here and to allot a plot to him or them is out of question. There are people living in Jammu and Kashmir who do jobs in Indian Army and they being the permanent residents of the State have right to settle here,” Beg said adding that though land for ‘Sainik Colony’ has been identified but the proposal has not been cleared by the State Government.

“Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed has categorically asked BJP led Union Government to respect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and he will not allow any erosion in Article 370,” Dr Mehboob Beg said.

Responding to a question, Beg said that the petition to challenge Article 35 A that debars a non-state subject from buying land and property in state is legally flawed. “If anybody has challenged this Article in the court of law, we will defend it. No force in India can challenge the Article 370 and Article 35 A as these are the basic features of the Constitution and are untouchable. The writ petition needs to be dismissed as the grounds on which it has been filed are legally and constitutionally misconceived,” he said.

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