MUZAFFARABAD: A shutter down strike and a big demonstration was staged in Hajira, a town in the southern Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), on Tuesday to condemn and thwart the allotment of a precious 5-kanal plot possessed by the AJK food department for almost five decades.

The shutter down call was given by the local body of traders but the protesters included people from other walks of life as well, such as political activists and students.

The 5-kanal plot in the heart of Hajira, located some 155 kilometres from here, had been home to the godowns and office of food department, at least since 1965, according to local residents.

However, according to some revenue department officials, it was allotted in 1956 to one Sardar Sakhi (late), who was an employee of the food department and retired from it as district food controller (DFC).

Interestingly, after the October 2005 earthquake damaged the old godown and office, a huge infrastructure, including two godowns and residential quarters, was approved for the same piece of land under the earthquake reconstruction programme reportedly at a cost of around Rs20 million.

The godowns were handed over to the department about a year ago.

However, in the meanwhile, the widow and heirs of the alleged allottee moved the custodian evacuee property in 2010, which reportedly ruled in their favour but mentioned in the decision that despite repeated reminders the food department had not pursued the case to defend its possession of land.

In the final leg of litigation, the AJK Supreme Court last year directed the government to not only handover the plot to the allottees but also give them the rent of its possession from the day one.

It was learnt that the AJK Legislative Assembly speaker Sardar Ghulam Sadiq, who is elected from Hajira, and AJK minister for food Javed Iqbal Budhanvi were opposed to the allotment, but many others in the government were zealously favouring handover of plot to the allottees.

An official told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the PML-N AJK chapter leadership was also instrumental about the handover, as one of the heirs of late allottee was PML-N activist.

Protesters in Hajira shouted slogans against the allottees as well as food and revenue departments, alleging that the former were favoured with the connivance of the latter.

“The government should conduct judicial inquiry against the food and revenue department officials who have worked hand in glove to benefit the land mafia,” they said.

They demanded that the government should cancel the allotment by April 15, failing which, they warned, they would stage a march on state capital Muzaffarabad.

“Let it be clear to all that the people of Hajira will not allow the land mafia to lay hold of this precious land. If the government fails to pay heed to our demand, our peaceful protest can turn violent.”