Delhi must know, Roshni is Rs 25K crore scam: Guv

“Development, not force, needed to wrest PoK from Pak”

JAMMU: Five days after he ordered a detailed investigation into alleged instances of cornering high-value prime land in Jammu and Srinagar cities by misusing the now-repealed the Jammu and Kashmir State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001, commonly known as Roshni scheme, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday revealed that the irregularities were of the tune of Rs 25,000 crore.
Taking a dig at some media houses in national capital which have been focusing on the restrictions put in place by his administration in some parts of the Valley, Malik said that New Delhi must know what the Roshni scam was.
The governor was speaking a function where 15 power projects for three regions of state were inaugurated.
“There was another Roshni (act) in Jammu and Kashmir,” Malik said referring the controversial act of 2001 which his administration had repealed ten months ago.
“The act envisaged generating resources for Roshni (financing power projects by conferment of proprietary rights to the occupants of the State Land). However, when I came, I was told about the huge bungling happening under this act. I immediately repealed the act,” Malik said.
Malik said that the alleged irregularities in the 'Roshni' scheme apparently turned out to be a Rs 25,000 crore scam.
"The implementation of the scheme has been such that it has proved to be a Rs 25,000 crore scam ... When I came here, the first thing I did was to end the Roshni scheme and we handed the Roshni cases to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for investigation," he said.
Malik said the media in Delhi failed to understand his statement about Jammu and Kashmir government’s Roshni Act.
“I appeal my friends in media to highlight this so people in Delhi could understand what is this Roshni scam,” Malik said.
The Jammu and Kashmir government in 1996 launched the scheme to vest land ownership rights on people who were occupying state land by paying a part of its assessed value towards the public exchequer. The aim of the scheme was to regularise illegal occupants while generating funds for construction of power projects in the state.
The law envisaged enriching the public exchequer by Rs 25,000 crore by transferring 20 lakh 'kanals' of land to its occupants. One 'kanal' is around 506 square metre.
On September 13, Malik had ordered a probe by the ACB on a spate of complaints of obtaining prime pieces of land by irregular or fraudulent implementation of Roshni scheme.
While referring the investigation of all such matters in Jammu and Srinagar districts, the Governor had instructed the ACB to conclude the proceedings speedily and ensure that any offender particularly beneficiaries are brought to book quickly.
Meanwhile, presenting his "roadmap" for India for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Governor Malik said India can wrest this territory back from Pakistan without using any force, voicing confidence people there will "revolt" and join this country after seeing the planned development in the state.
Malik said some ministers have been talking about taking back PoK from Pakistan by force. He, however, did not name anyone.
"I have been seeing for the past 10 to 15 days that many of our ministers, who do not get to talk on international matters, have been repeatedly talking about invading PoK, taking it back etc. My belief is that if PoK is the next target, we can take it on the basis on the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
"If we can give love and respect to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and secure the future of their children, bring development and prosperity, I can guarantee that within a year or so there will be a revolt in PoK and you will get it without a confrontation ... the residents of PoK will on their own say that they want to come this side. This is my roadmap for PoK," the governor said.
Malik urged the countrymen to treat people from Kashmir with love and respect and said officers have been placed in every state to help Kashmiri students.
"There are 22,000 Kashmiri students studying in different states of the country and they should be treated with love. People of Kashmir should be treated with love and respect," he added.
Malik said the government has taken steps to ensure uninterrupted power supply to Jammu and Srinagar cities from this winter.
Governor also urged the Media fraternity to tell people about the normalcy that is prevailing in Kashmir where the situation till date is by and large peaceful and there is no report of any untoward incident. He said that hospitals and schools are open, basic amenities and supply of essential commodities is unhindered, problems if any of Kashmiri students studying outside the J&K are being taken care of by the liaison officers appointed by the Government of J&K and recently the Market Intervention Scheme for procurement of apples was launched to support the fruit growers in the Valley.