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Land grabbing halts KU Campus expansion

ESS AHMAD. Dated: 10/21/2017 12:10:16 PM

ANANTNAG, Oct 20: The occupation of a huge chunk of land at high ground in Anantnag is proving to be major hurdle in the expansion of the south campus of Kashmir University.
The campus for the students of southern region was established in 2004 during PDP-Congress regime after the army vacated over 400 kanals of land in the area.
Later in 2015 after the formation of PDP-BJP government the former chief minister late Mufti Mohammad Syed repeatedly directed the army to vacate more 454 kanals of land for the expansion of the campus. The central government also cleared the proposal of the state return of land to the state authorities. Besides the current chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also asked the army to free the land but despite repeated directions from state and center army continues to occupy the land. "Huge army presence in the area is badly halting the expansion and promotion of the campus. Irony is that the army has not freed over 400 kanals of land despite being asked by both the center and state governments. During last two years we many a time have seen top officials of the civil administration and army visiting the area and demarcating the land but the same still remains occupied," the campus teacher said.
Director south campus, Prof. Ishfaq Zarin said that the non-availability of land is undoubtedly halting the expansion of campus. "The non-availability of land is badly halting the expansion of campus. Had the land been available to us we would have maintained a ground for sports activities like football and hockey. We had to rent a building for girls hostel outside the campus in the town," director said.
He saidt if army frees more 400 kanals of land that would help a long way in the expansion of the campus.
"Due to the occupation of land by the army around the campus we cannot move beyond a particular point. Many students are hesitant to join the campus due to this reason only," director said.
Sources in the campus said that scores are students are forced to put up in rented rooms outside the campus as there is a space crunch in the boys hostel of the campus.
"Authorities can't even go for the construction of second story of the hostel as army is raising objections to the same," sources said.
Campus director, however, said that armys objection is not stopping them from going for construction of the second storey of the hoste. "Yes army has some reservations but it is not that we are not going for additional construction of hostel due to their objections. But onething is clear that if army vacates the land it has been asked to vacate south campus will surely emerge as one of the big campuses," director said.