Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD): The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced its intention to develop satellite townships across the Union Territory to control unplanned urban expansion and address housing demands.
Responding to a question from Pulwama MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, the Chief Minister, who also oversees the Housing and Urban Development Department, confirmed the plan, stating, “Yes, the government intends to establish satellite townships in J&K to regulate unplanned urban growth and fulfill housing needs.”
The Housing Board has identified 1,298.28 kanals of land at nine locations for the project, including:
30 kanals in Padgampura (Pulwama)
200 kanals in Watapora (Bandipora)
85 kanals in Bhalwal (Jammu)
81.48 kanals in Chnagrah (Kathua)
353.35 kanals in Chatterhama (Srinagar)
214 kanals in Bakoora (Ganderbal)
248.65 kanals in Chak Bhalwal (Jammu)
69 kanals in Chowdhai (Jammu)
16.80 kanals in Kanuyian (Poonch)
However, PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para expressed serious concerns, stating that the project could fuel demographic engineering fears and pose environmental risks. He also criticized the government for its vague definition of “people of Jammu and Kashmir” in the context of urban planning.
Para further pointed out that the government’s admission about satellite townships contradicts the Chief Minister’s earlier statement that no such proposal was under consideration(DD).