Compensate families affected by army firing: TBF

Kashmir Reader: Srinagar: Saturday, October 25, 2014.

JK RTI Movement and Toasmaidan Bachao Front Friday while appreciating the decision of handing over of the meadow by Army to state government has sought allocation of compensation for families affected by firing during lease period.

“We demand compensation to the families, whose kin died due to firing drill conducted by Army in the past 50 years. People who got disabled by live shells shall be compensated in the form of a livelihood as they are not able to earn and feed their families. Similarly, people whose homes and properties have been damaged shall also be compensated at an earliest,” said chairman JK RTI Movement and chief patron TBF Dr Sheikh Ghulam Rasool.

He said that the meadow should be developed on the standards of rural tourism to maintain the ecology of the area.

“We will stand against any move by state if concrete constructions are allowed at Toasmaidan. The mainstream tourism will not be allowed which in turn damages the environment. The state government shall adopt people friendly and eco-friendly policies in developing Toasmaidan and other places in Kashmir. The government should take all the stakeholders in confidence before forming a development authority there and that firing range shall be relocated to such a place in which there is no threat to human life and environment,” he said.