J-K govt promoting vertical housing colonies to save agri land

Jammu and Kashmir government is promoting vertical housing colonies in Srinagar in an effort to stop the trend of conversion of agricultural land for residential and commercial purposes.
The vertical colonies would come up as per the traditional Kashmiri architecture and in tune with the weather conditions of the Valley, Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Nawang Rigzin Jora said here.
The Minister was speaking at a function organised by Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) yesterday for making the allotment of residential flats in Gulposh Apartments in Bemina area of the city as a part of its initiative to promote flatted housing here.

The SDA has constructed 60 residential flats in the colony.
The minister said 500 more residential flats are being constructed by the SDA at Bemina under Shehjar Apartments project for which the country's premier financial institution HUDCO has been co-opted as architectural consultant.
The SDA would also be availing financing for the ambitious project from HUDCO, he said.

Besides constructing around 500 two bedroom and three bedroom residential flats, the Vertical Housing Colony, spread over around 100 five hectares of land, shall also be provided with 40 feet wide main road and 30 feet wide internal roads transecting various apartment blocks, he said.

The colony would be provided with adequate underground and surface parking facility, parks, community hall, children's play area, tennis court, amphitheatre, health club, community market, food court and other amenities for the residents, the minister said.
The state government has already banned the conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes and a new Bill in this regard is under the consideration of a select committee of the state legislature.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has also passed directions against the misuse of agricultural land following public-interest litigation by a non-governmental organisation.
The court directed all deputy commissioners to ensure the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Act and the Jammu and Kashmir Land Revenue Act are implemented, to stop the conversion of agricultural land.