No intention of settling outsiders in satellite townships: CM

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Thursday that the government has no intention of settling anyone from outside in the proposed satellite townships in the UT. “When I said in the press conference that we have not received any proposal for townships, I did not say anything wrong. For now, at the ministerial level, the Council of Ministers has not received any proposal for townships. But when it comes, we will have to pay attention to it,” Omar said while replying to the discussion on Demands of Grants by members. He said the government has no intention of settling anyone from outside. Advertisement “During the PDP-BJP government, I remember the announcement of New Srinagar, New Jammu, Greater Srinagar, Greater Jammu…We also have the same intention that we should establish new satellite townships, new residential colonies so that we can save these cities. Otherwise, they have come to the brink of bursting. We are not able to reach from one place to another.” Recently, the Opposition had questioned the ruling government about the satellite townships in J-K. Advertisement The Chief Minister also talked about the “apprehensions” raised by many legislators regarding denial of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) verification to the relatives of anyone with adverse background. “Regarding the CID verification, many members expressed apprehensions. Their apprehensions are true. When you stop jobs to people on the basis of CID verification, we are, in a way, weaponising the CID. We are using it as a weapon,” he said. For the past few years, the security agencies have been denying positive police verifications to the family members and even close relatives of a person who is involved in any adverse activity. Stating that “CID’s job is not to be used as a weapon”, Omar talked about a High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh order that ruled that a person cannot be denied a passport merely because his relatives were involved in anti-national or militancy activities. “In February, there was a High Court order ... .you cannot punish B for the crimes of A. The CID department has the order of the High Court. They will be asked — in case of verification — to follow this order of the High Court. There is no choice in this,” Omar said.