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For sale…Yeh Gulistan Hamara
Gulmarg land to be auctioned this week,
outside state investors solicited
M Hyderi
(from greakashmir.com)
Srinagar, Nov 5: Notwithstanding the public outcry and resentment over the proposed leasing of land in Gulmarg, now sensing calm the government after six months has decided to commence bidding of land amidst meadows. It took government six months to prepare auctioning plan for land in Gulmarg, authoritative sources told Greater Kashmir. They do add that a similar proposal for Pahalgam is in the offing.
The whole bidding process will commence this week with non-Kashmiris investors expected to emerge as main players in bidding deal. On October 17 this year, the state Cabinet had sanctioned the auction of 560 kanals of land through an Auction Committee, for construction of hotels, restaurants and other tourism related facilities in the virgin valley of Dhobighat. Since then, the auction notification awaited a green signal from the Civil Secretariat. Sources said the Secretariat started the correspondence with the concerned agencies few days before the Darbar closed here.
The Auction Committee headed by District Development Commissioner Varmul has been asked to finalize the formalities for the auction and float tenders through print and electronic media, sources said.
Bids will start from minimum reserved price of Rs 15 lakh per kanal. A plot area ceiling for hotels is of 16 kanals and not more than one plot will be allotted to a bidding family taking the total minimum investment for the hotel land to Rs 24 million.
Even though the authorities said that the land would be leased to state subjects alone who could go for joint ventures with outsiders, sources said the tenders could be bagged by big players from outside –financially more sound than the locals, who are presently inquiring about the tenders.
The present law of land abets it. Legal experts say the amendments made to the state’s Land Grants Rules during the regime of then Chief Minister Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah allows land to be leased to the outsiders for 99 years.
Saving Srinagar’s old-world charm
(from ibnlilve.com)
Srinagar: Heritage buildings in Kashmir are examples of a unique combination of Mughal, Persian and Kashmiri architectural influences. However, due to poor maintenance, most such buildings in the state are losing their beauty. But that may not be the case anymore.In the city, Jalali mansion is perhaps the only remaining example of traditional Kashmiri architecture. Famous for its latticed windows, the building is carefully preserved in Zadibal, Srinagar. The present owner of the building, Iftikhar Jalali, is a rich business man. But even after spending a lakh every year, Iftikhar is finding it difficult to maintain the building.
“The building is over 200 years old. The material used, the panjrakari without nails fixed, you won’t find such artisans available around us who can repair it. It’s very difficult to maintain this building now,” says Iftikhar Jalali.
The banks of Jhelum were once the hub of Kashmir’s traditional lifestyle. But now concrete buildings have replaced old classical structures of wood and mud.
However, there might be some relief in the offing. After hectic lobbying from NGOs such as INTACH, the government may now pass a legislation whereby the government will provide financial aid for maintenance of buildings identified as heritage sites in the state.
“We are going to take up this matter with the government so that a proper legislation comes. We also assure the government that we will take care of all the buildings which are of heritage nature,” says the Mayor of Srinagar, Guhlam Mustafa Bhat. The law would also prohibit any tampering with the façade of the building.
NGOs researching traditional architecture say that heritage laws should be passed without delay because 80 per cent of the ornate lattice-work in Srinagar has been destroyed since 1990. If steps are not taken immediately, these heritage buildings may just become a thing of the past.
(With inputs from Satyarth Nayak)
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