SRINAGAR: A petition has been filed in State Human Rights Commission, seeking directions to the Jammu and Kashmir government not to extend the lease of Tosamaidan pasture in favour of the Army.
The petition, likely to come up for hearing next week, has been filed by a delegation of RTI Activists lead by Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, a local news agency KNS reports.
The petition suggests that the ‘firing range’ should be shifted from Tosmaidan meadow to an uninhabited area in Ladakh.
“The state government may be directed not to extend the lease of the area in favour of Union of India through Ministry of Defence as the life and property of the local residents is at stake,” the petitioner demands.
“(Locals of the area) are not able to earn livelihood through tourist trade and exploitation of admissible forest produce (medicinal plants, herbs etc) could be the important source of their income,” the petition further demand.
It seeks the protection of basic human right to live of the inhabitants of villages Chell, Brass, Shonglipora , Drang , and other villages located beneath and around Tosamaidan meadow in tehsil Khag and Khansahib of district Budgam.
The RTI activists have highlighted that the Tosamaidan is a vast beautiful pasture located under the foothills of Pir Panchaal mountain range in Khag- Khansahib area of Budgam.
Gulmarg is located nearby this place towards its north western side and one can trek to Poonch via this place. “But from mid 1960’s this area has been used as a firing range by Artillery regiment of Indian Army,” the petition says.
“The firing drills have lead to death and destruction in the area which was never a deliberate attempt but has been always accidental but these deaths have indeed been caused by the military presence in the area.”
The petition has prayed that the further agreement should not be extended as the present agreement between J&K Government & Indian Army comes to an end in 2014.
It was filed a day after a ‘Joint Front’ was formed by the locals including Panchayat members, members of J&K RTI Movement, civil society groups and senior citizens.
Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani has warned the government against any move to extend lease agreement of 3000 kanals of land in favor of the Army, underlining that it was “unacceptable.”
