Centre rules out law in J&K on lines of Art 371

Up to next Assembly to legislate on protecting land, property of locals

Tribune Web Desk

Updated At : 12:43 PM Dec 13, 2019 IST

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 12

Ending speculation, the Government of India has made it clear that it would not bring any legislation on the lines of Article 371 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for protection of land and property.

If the residents want such safeguards, they will have to wait for the constitution of the next Legislative Assembly vested with the powers to make laws, said Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy. He was responding to a query by PDP Rajya Sabha member Nazir Ahmed Laway.

Various groups and political parties in the UT, which lost its special status on August 5 when the Centre abrogated Articles 370 and 35-A, have been seeking safeguards to protect their land and jobs.

The BJP unit of Jammu and Kashmir has suggested domicile certificates to locals for protection of land rights.