KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Even as the government has been walking on a tightrope over the proposal of setting up a “Sainik Colony” in Kashmir, right wing Hindu nationalist BJP said the colony should be set up for army men who are state subjects.
“Our stand is clear that we want a Sainik Colony for army men who hold Permanent Resident Certificates. Why should not here be a colony for the army personnel when they defend and secure our borders,” BJP State President Sat Sharma told reporters at SKICC after Governor’s address to the joint sitting of the legislature.
“As state president of BJP, we will be taking up the issue with the Government to have a Sainik colony here,” Sharma said.
The PDP-BJP government has been in tizzy over the “Sainik Colony” proposal after the separatists threatened agitation against it.
The government though has said that it has not identified or allotted any land, it has not out rightly denied setting up the colony in the Valley.
Sharma, when asked whether any land has been identified for the colony, said government is looking into the issue of the land for the colony. “Though I have not talked to the government about the land as yet,” Sharma added in the same breath.
When asked why the government and PDP have different stand on “Sainik Colony”, though BJP being a part of the government, he said that “BJP has its own stand”.
“We have our own stand. We are working as per our thinking and ideology,” Sharma, who is BJP MLA from Jammu West, said.
On the resettling of migrant Kashmiri Pandits in clusters in the Valley, he said that they should be rehabilitated “as per their desire”.
“We are for re-settling Kashmiri Pandits back in the Valley. Their issue should be addressed by talking to them and addressing it as they desire,” he said. (KNS)
