Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Several families relocated from Dal Lake and its peripheral areas to the Rakh-e-Arth Colony in Bemina have alleged serious irregularities in the rehabilitation process, accusing National Conference legislator Shameema Firdous and Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation founder Manzoor Wangnoo of depriving genuine beneficiaries of their rightful housing and land entitlements.
The protesting families claimed that despite living separately in their own individual houses along Dal Lake before relocation, they were subsequently allotted a single housing unit meant to be shared by two different families at Rakh-e-Arth Colony, a situation they describe as a betrayal of the government’s original rehabilitation commitment. The aggrieved families further alleged that land and housing earmarked specifically for Dal dwellers had been grabbed, leaving several beneficiaries without proper rehabilitation despite official assurances of independent accommodation for each family.
Mubarak Ahmad Rath, a resident of Ghat No. 1 on Foreshore Road and one of the protesters, alleged that the entire rehabilitation exercise had been manipulated at the expense of poor families who had little means to challenge the process. He said families that once lived separately at Dal Lake were forced to share a single house after relocation, and demanded clarity on where the houses and land meant for them had actually gone.
Rath called for a high level and impartial investigation into the entire rehabilitation process, alleging that poor Dal dwellers had effectively been cheated out of what was promised to them. He described the situation as a scam that must be investigated thoroughly, alleging that land meant for Dal dwellers had been grabbed while genuine beneficiaries were left in the lurch with inadequate housing.
The protesters have urged the Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau to constitute an independent inquiry to examine the allotment process at Rakh-e-Arth Colony, identify alleged irregularities and ensure justice for the affected families. The allegations add to a long running debate over the pace and fairness of Dal Lake’s rehabilitation programme, which has for years sought to resettle lake dwellers away from the water body as part of broader conservation efforts.
Officials associated with the rehabilitation process have not yet publicly responded to the specific allegations raised by the protesting families, though the demand for an Anti Corruption Bureau probe is likely to keep the issue in the spotlight in the coming days as authorities come under pressure to address the residents’ grievances.
