Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi has handed over a memorandum to the Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman regarding the redressal of the grievances of the people living in border area, particularly of the farmers.
Sodhi said that in the memorandum handed over to the Union Defence Minister during her visit to Hussainiwala on Sunday, he had demanded that the compensation amount to the farmers having land outside the barbed wire fence in border area should be increased to Rs 20,000.
Besides, the army should issue ‘No-Objection’ certificate to the farmers to provide electricity connections to them who spend money on diesel in order to operate the tube-wells for better maintenance of their crops.
The ownership rights should be given to the poor farmers who cultivate land outside barbed wire fence, he demanded.
Sodhi said that he also apprised the Union Minister regarding the problems being faced by the people of the cantonment area. “The permission should be granted to repair the buildings in cantonment area which are in dilapidated condition. The transfer of property should be allowed so as to make the people avail benefits such as house loans,” he said.
He demanded that the old law of the erstwhile British era should be abolished as per which a foreigner can buy property but the Indian has to take permission in case the value of the property is exceeding Rs 5,000.
“The Cantonment Act, 2006, must be suitably amended so as to ensure that there is no interference of the Army in the civil area. The lease of properties, which have expired, must be renewed and the policy for making these freehold should be made. The public representatives must be involved while making the land policy,” he said.
Sodhi said that the Union Minister had given positive response to the demands raised by him. The Defence Minister, on one hand, agreed in principle to issue 'No Objection' certificates for providing electricity connection, on the other, she also assured to consider other demands.