Infrastructural requirements and land resource
Land is a permanently static asset. Quantum of its acquisition and the activity carried on it matter. On 24/12/2024 the office of the Deputy Commissioner Pulwama issued an order for starting process for transfer of 4834 kanals and 19 marlas of prime kareva land for establishing a new campus for the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar at Newa in district Pulwama. Currently NIT Srinagar has 67 acres (nearly 536 kanals) at Hazratbal in Srinagar.
The move raised concerns amongst local residents and the politicians, who voiced concern over its implications. The land which as per locals has been cultivated by them for agriculture and orchard purposes for more than 100 years is stated to be State Land. It is immaterial whether any patch of land is state land or private property so far as the implications of its use are involved. Category of land matters only for the purpose of paying compensation whereas incidence and impact of its use directly falls on the people around it. State is people who want and need land; to survive land does not require people.
Actually the process for identifying land for expansion of NIT Srinagar began in the year 2018. In a review meeting Mr. Khursheed Ahmad Ganai (IAS-retired), the then Advisor to the Governor, directed Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, “identify land for setting up an out-campus of NIT Srinagar where new departments can be established.” The land was also sought for hostels of the Institute.
Pertinent to mention that an order issued by Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education vide No.22-20/2014-U.Policy dated 27/10/2014 lays down that, “The Ministry of Human Resource Development establishes institutions of higher learning such as Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Technology ( IITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) etc.”
The second para of the order reads, “As per extant norms the land requirement for these institutions varies from 100 acre for IIITs, 200 acres for IIMs and IISERs, 300 acres for NITs, and 500 acres for IITs and Central Universities. The land is required to be contiguous and free from all encumbrances”. The order further mentions that, “These norms were determined a long time ago when land was available in abundance. However, with the burgeoning population and consequent expansion of cities land has increasingly become a scarce commodity.
There is, therefore, an urgent need for revising the land requirements for different kinds of higher educational institutions, which is more realistic and takes into account technological developments which allow for vertical expansion of buildings etc.” In view of this a Committee comprising six high level officer members headed by Mr. Satynarayan Mohanty, Secretary Higher Education MRHD as its Chairman had been constituted to reconsider the land requirement norms for institutes of higher learning by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The Committee submitted its report in 2015 with the recommendations that the land requirements be relaxed by half to make way for high-rises on campuses. The Committee conducted a study in some major foreign cities and also recommended that library, auditorium and academic resources could be shared among central institutions.
Going by the recommendations the full-fledged NIT Srinagar shall require only150 acres of land and for an out-campus on the new proposed location at Newa Pulwama 90 acres of land would suffice as an augmentation of the existing campus of 67 acres of land. Previously on expansion of National Highway- 44 Srinagar-Jammu and laying of Srinagar Ring Road Jammu and Kashmir has already exhausted 10,000 kanals of farm land in the districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar and Ganderbal during 2017-18 to 2023-24.
As per official figures more than 90 percent of farmers in Jammu & Kashmir are marginal farmers. The Agriculture Census of 2015-16 estimated the size of agricultural holdings in J and K at 0.55 hectares that is 11 kanals only which is much less than the unofficial sources which put it at 0.35 hectares viz, seven kanals. In Kashmir valley the size is even smaller with further reduced operational holdings. Jammu & Kashmir in general and Kashmir valley in particular being land deficit, the parcel of land measuring about 5000 kanals seems prima facie humongous vis-a-vis the expansion of the NIT Srinagar.
Undoubtedly developmental activities have their due role to play in the welfare and well being of human beings but people should first exist physically and mentally to enjoy the fruits of development. Development should not come at the peril of fertile agriculture and horticulture land or forest areas. Ignoring prescribed guidelines, avoiding public consent, underestimating loss of due income and permanent assets to holders, overlooking the required biodiversity essential for maintaining resilient ecosystem in the wake of much talked and feared, actual or imminent fatal effects of global warming, no civilian and democratic government shall initiate such projects where estimation is above relevant norms save in a state of oblivion which after a wakeup call to standardize the requirements leaves much to ponder.
Intensive use of land is and will continue to be a need. Instead of horizontal constructions vertical construction is the best alternative in an area like ours where paucity of land fails density of population. It is, ergo, expected of a people’s government to revisit its policy of future expansions of such projects including widening of existing roads, lying down of railway lines, establishing of ring roads, etc. else it will leave affected people grapple with permanent losses besides unleashing devastating consequences of imbalanced biodiversity and ecological charts. If at all the new campus is established at Newa Pulwama scarcity of land, growing population, Satynarayan Mohanty Committee Report and the best option of vertical construction are to be taken into fruitful consideration.
The author is a former Sr. Audit Officer and Consultant in the A.G’s Office Srinagar.
