'J&K govt dedicated to serve poor'

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday that the discriminatory politics and governance system was abolished in 2019 and the poor have the first right on the government's resources.

Sinha said in a veiled reference to regional political parties that some people in J&K are pained by the decision of giving home and land to the homeless in the Union Territory, as they thought of themselves as owners of the government land and resources.

The J&K administration recently announced it will give five marla land each to landless and homeless families who are eligible under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin). It has already decided to give land to 2,711 families and the number is likely to increase by a couple of thousands. The government has also approved 199,550 houses for the homeless under the scheme. However, regional political parties, including the Hurriyat, NC, PDP and People's Conference criticised the decision stating they have apprehensions about the categorisation, criteria and definition of homelessness as it may facilitate settlement of non-locals here.