NC accuses Army of harassing Nagrota residents

Accusing the Army of "harassing" the residents living along the ammunition depot in Nagrota area, the National Conference (NC) today demanded relocation of the storage facility.
"Around 4,000 families living near the ammunition depot in Jandrah area of Nagrota in Jammu district who have leased their land to the Army are being harassed by the Army as they are not allowed to do any type of constructions," NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana told reporters here.
He said the people living along the ammunition depot had leased their land to the Army in 1964 and they have been given meagre compensation.

"Even today the Army is paying Rs 500 per kanal of land and that too has not been paid for the past three years," Rana said, demanding that the force relocate the ammunition depot elsewhere.
Rana, who represents the constituency, urged Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra to personally look into the issue and help redress the grievances of the residents of the area.
"Even as the residents have given their land to the Army for the ammunition depot, the Army is not employing them as porters there and instead bringing people from other states to work at the ammunition depot," he said.

He urged the higher authorities of the Army to conduct an enquiry into the recruitment of porters and other workers at the ammunition depot.
Rana said if the grievances of the local residents are not redressed they would be forced to launch protests.