Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Samoon is considered to be one of the Senior Most and experienced Bureaucrat of Jammu & Kashmir State.
In an exclusive interview with “The Kashmir Scenario”, Dr. AsgarSamoon talks to Shahzad Hussain Hamdani & Rameez Makhdoomi.
What is administration doing to tackle the LPG crisis as at several places long queues of people are fighting to get a cylinder?
We have ample storage of Gas Cylinders and the problems arise when the National Highway gets blocked. The problem has been accentuated by the attitude of Gas Dealers as they dishonestly used to take charges for home delivery of LPG but does not ensure the same .Now with the directions of Hon’ble High Court they have been asked to ensure home delivery to all customers and district administration is also taking all the steps to ensure home delivery of gas by gas agencies immediately takes pragmatic shape.
We have also embarked on project to provide CNG via pipeline and in coming years its implementation would ease out the gas shortage in our state.
The problem of illegal land grabbing has been criticized by many corners of the state and especially we have witnessed some illegal land grabbing by some non-locals residents of Kashmir and such issue had come in the Jammu district also. In what way the administration has been able to curb it?
I think you should not make it an issue, if there is any such illegal construction done by non-locals; we will surely take a note of it and accordingly will take action against it. As far you have stated that the non-residents have settled their near Bari Nambal, it is not possible since they are not the state subjects. You know that the state of Jammu & Kashmir has a special status under article 370; you are citizen of the state. You may be citizen of India but need not necessary be citizen of the state. Don’t generalize the issue and don’t try to make it an Issue of UNO as is made of Kashmir.
Now, if any person wants to settle in the state, he should be a state subject and any tehsildar or any revenue authority who will issue state subject to a non- state holder, will have to go to jail for such actions. Now as far as Jammu is concerned, some scandals have come unearthed and a commission has been started in that case, but it is not my jurisdiction and I can’t further comment on it.
I would like to give an example that almost 10 years back some Biharis has constructed huts near the Jehlum shore and the moment it came to our notice, we demolished it. Now you can surely witness the beautification of Jhelum. We did a lot of work on it but the award was given to others. We have conducted demolition of illegal constructions in ChinarBagh, and at many places in downtown.
Recently in an interview with MLA Habba Kadal, Ms.Shamima Firdous, it was stated that the said MLA has sended many letters to the state administration to remove illegal occupation of land near Bari Nambal by non-locals especially Biharis. What is your response to it?
I didn’t receive any such letter. You can provide me the details of how many illegal occupants are there and we will take action. Why are you cooking up a story on someone’s statement? I don’t think it is an issue.
Hindustan Construction Company has been alleged of flouting rules & regulations especially polluting environment of Bandipore. Your Response on this?
Whenever we get directions from Hon’ble High Court we immediately implement such orders in letter and spirit. Yes, definitely there are some environmental problems created and D.C Bandipore has laid out clear guidelines for the functioning of HCC.I agree that we should conduct a complete environmental assessment report in the area and fix the responsibilities if damages are being incurred, be it the conduct of HCC or NHPC, it is the paramount duty of the Central Government to ensure that they work in a transparent manner. Media should also share with us all the credible reports and details about their functioning and we will definitely take necessary action in this regard
As you mentioned that the people need to have the civic sense not to put garbage on streets and it is also a reason of Dog menance. My question is again linked to Bari Nambal, that in the ongoing cleanage of Bari Nambal it has been witnessed that all the garbage and waste which is collected from the Bari Nambal is being settled near the shores and it has also invited a feed to the stray dogs.What is your response to it?
See the dog menance is a problem, no doubt about it and it has to be solved in a humane way. The matter is also there in the Hon’ble High Court. The dog Menance is because of poor lifting of Garbage. You only see the garbage around the Bari Nambal, haven’t you seen the sewage treatment plants we have constructed through LAWDA after spending crores of rupees. I want to know whether the residents of Bari Nambal pay for sewage treatment. How much you pay to the municipality as cleaning charges?
No you never pay. Residents of that place don’t even pay electricity charges and pelt stones. They don’t pay municipality charges and instead of that slang the Municipality sweepers who do their duty. And that sweeper is much better than them, who comes and clean the garbage. The people have a responsibility towards the society.
I would like to state that Bari Nambal is a lagoon and our priority is Dal Lake and not Bari Nambal. We have installed Sewage treatment plant and you can check it.
I think you have come up with a negative mindset. I want to tell that most of the people of downtown pelted stones on us in 2010, then it ceded in 2011 &2012. We are spendingalmost 100 crores on the construction of Sewage plant in Downtown and a pumping station is going to be installed near Aalikadal, in Eidgah and we are covering almost all downtown, but you can only see Bari Nambal.
In Downtown we have almost population of 5 lacs. You can ask my officials from PDD, how tough it is to install Metres in downtown areas. We charge 100 Rs per unit for electricity and still people indulge in electricity theft: “Masjid cheassan Azaan paraan, ath che assan hook laegeth” ( Even while Prayer call is being recited people are engaged in power theft)
I want to put it on record, that in downtown people put all the dirt and sewage in Jhelum, and they don’t have the civic sense that the same water is used for drinking purposes by people of Baramulla and Sopore from where the same Jhelum pass. Thus they pollute the same water which in Islam has been said to be the source of life. The people of downtown should construct septic tanks, so it is the responsibility of the people as well. So if you are the polluter they why don’t you pay.
Why people of downtown throw garbage of streets? We have fixed prices at meat shops, but some meat shops in downtown charge high than fixed. So, that is what i want to state that you talk about Bari Nambal and dog Menance but you don’t see the sewage treatment work which is under taken by LAWDA in downtown.
What is your message to the people of the state?
You got the message. You leave the people; i want to first send a message to the people of Downtown. They have a mindset of being Anti-India and they have to change the mindset first, unless and until they change the mindset, there is no solution to it. We are committed to be the public servants. Everything is related to Law and Order, just like we have installed Traffic Lights, and if people of downtown will come out and will destroy the traffic lights.Thus you cannot blame the administration for everything. You have also to play a role in development.