J&K minister 'surprised' over written reply in house

A first-time Jammu and Kashmir legislator and minister today expressed surprise how a written reply by him was reported by media without it being read in the Legislative Council and his query to the House in this regard sent the members into peels of laughter.
Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi, who represents Dooru assembly constituency of south Kashmir in the state Assembly and is Minister of State for Haj and Wakf, while replying to a question in Legislative Council, sought to know how a similar question was reported by some sections of media even as it was not read during the Question Hour in the House yesterday.

The starred question, tabled by Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga on whether any Wakf land was under illegal occupation of any government department or the army, did not come up yesterday as the Question Hour ended after a stipulated time of one hour.
However, a written reply was issued to the House by the minister, which the media reported.
As the minister got up to reply a similar question today, he said, "I do not understand how this answer (of yesterday's question) got exposed in media when it was not read here."
The remarks of the minister, apparently unaware of the rules, drew laughter in the House including from other ministers present there.

However, the minister went on to reply the question, saying land measuring 96650 Kanals and 13 Marlas (about 4890 hectares) has been notified as Wakf land in the state, of which 55014 Kanals and 16 marlas (about 2783 hectares) are in Kashmir province and 41635 Kanals and 17 Marlas (about 2107 hectares) in Jammu province.

He said the Wakf land in possession of Auqaf is 90653 Kanals and 1 Marla (about 4586 hectares), while as 2710 Kanals and 16 marlas (about 137 hectares) is under occupation of army and other paramilitary forces.
The minister said the government departments occupy 896 Kanals and 15 marlas (about 45 hectares) and civilians occupy 2390 Kanals and 1 marla (about 121 hectares) of wakh land illegally.

Andrabi, a close relative of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, said the government is actively pursuing with all departments and agencies concerned to either seek regularisation of the occupied land or ensure its vacation.