Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Safeguard Tosamaidan natives: TBF

Kashmir Reader‎‎‎‎: Srinagar: Wednesday, January 25, 2017.
Tosamaidan Bachao Front (TBF), an amalgam which spearheaded a campaign to retrieve the Tosamaidan meadow from army on Tuesday thanked the government for declaring it as tourism development authority but sought compensation for the victims who were left physically challenged in the firing range.
In a statement, TBF founder and chief patron Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool said  in Tosamaidan the community driven adventure and rural tourism (CDART) can be nourished  when basic right to life is ensured in the Valley.
He said the demands  put forth by TBF from consist of setting-up of an independent development authority apart from demands such as compensating widows, disabled and overall community. “Development authority is merely an eye-wash if compensation component is ignored,” said TBF program coordinator Nazir Ahmed Lone.
He said spirit of CDAR tourism lies in the community itself and for that the demands are  compensation to the victims & community to be ensured before the formation of tosamaidan development authority, community must solely comprise the formation and functioning of the authority and assets declaration of the officials who will be appointed in TDA from government side, Ecology and Environment to be treated as the priority and   Proactive disclosure under Section-4 of J&K RTI Act of tourism department.