Jammu and Kashmir government today asserted that it has not allotted any land for establishing Sainik colony housing project for ex-servicemen in the Valley and slammed such claims saying they were "highly motivated" and "aimed at disturbing peace".
Referring to the reports appearing in a section of the press that colonies for ex-servicemen were being established in the state, Minister for Education and state government spokesman Naeem Akhtar said no land has been allotted or is being allotted anywhere in Kashmir for any housing project in the name of Sainik Colony.
"Like some other sections of the working class and professionals, the ex-servicemen belonging to the state have been demanding land for a housing colony, but no allotment of land for any such project has been made anywhere in the Valley," Akhtar said.
He said these reports seem to be "highly motivated and parochial and are aimed at disturbing peace" in the state at a time when tourism and business activities have just started picking up.
"Unfortunately, with the onset of tourism and business season in Kashmir, there has been a perpetual effort by certain vested interests to disturb peace in the state," he said, adding any attempt "at creating doubts on a non-existent issue are against the interests of the people of the state".
The minister urged the stakeholders, including the civil society representatives, to be cautious of the designs of such elements who want to vitiate the atmosphere in the state at a time when the local economy has just started recovering after suffering immensely in the devastating floods of September 2014.
"Such unsettling efforts seem to be completely out of place at a time when consensus is building across the political divide in the country over safeguarding, protecting and upholding the special status guaranteed to Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian Constitution.
"We once again reiterate the state government's commitment in this regard which has been clearly restated in the PDP-BJP 'Agenda of Alliance' as well," he said.
