Use of bulldozers should be last resort: Omar Abdullah on demolition drive in J-K

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], February 6 : Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the ongoing demolition drive of illegal properties has caused chaos in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that bulldozers should be the last resort in such exercises.
"The use of bulldozers should be a measure of the last resort, not the first. On what basis is Chief Secy sending bulldozers when the government admitted in court that all lists of properties to be demolished that have come out are fake," said Omar Abdullah while addressing a press conference.
Addressing a press conference, he demanded the list of properties to be demolished be put out in the public domain so that people can present their claims.
He further added that there is a way in which evictions should be carried out, the bulldozers were used without the information of the people living in the place.
"We don't support the illegal occupancy of government land. But there is a way in which evictions should be carried out. We demand that lists of properties to be demolished be put out in the public domain so that people can present their claims," said Omar Abdullah.
Omar Abdullah further claimed that no notice was served to anyone and the names in the list kept on changing.
"Since the list is not in the public domain the officers at the grassroots level are threatening people and have been asking for bribes. This has been the case in a lot of areas outside Srinagar as well. Nobody knows the truth and the procedure," said Omar Abdullah.
He claimed that NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar's property was demolished without any notice.
"There is a procedure that if the person doesn't receive the notice, the same is pasted on the gate and none of the properties had the notice pasted," he said.
He added that the issue will be raised in the parliament and such things can't continue.