Kashmir is open for plunder...

desan

President (40k+ posts)
Mining businesses from different parts of India are expanding into Jammu & Kashmir for the first time with last year’s scrapping of its special status opening the door for non-local players.

Companies from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have participated in public auctions and won leases to mine the union territory’s reserves of coal, marble and limestone, among other things.

The increased competition is yielding up to 60 per cent higher returns for J&K, say officials in the administration. However, the local business community feels it has been placed at a disadvantage competing against bigger players who make bids they just can’t seem to match.

Auctions begin
There are around 554 mineral blocks in J&K, of which 261 are in the 10 districts of Kashmir. Of these 261 blocks, each of which measures a maximum of 10 hectares, leases to 150-160 are being auditioned. A significant number of the mineral blocks are situated along the banks of river Jhelum, considered a lifeline in J&K.

The blocks primarily contain sand deposits but also host an abundant supply of minerals such as limestone, gypsum, bauxite and borax, besides fossil fuel coal, and granite and marble. The local administration has also identified gemstones such as sapphire, garnet and tourmaline.

The special status of J&K, a state until October 2019, barred non-J&K businesses from leasing or renting local mineral blocks. However, this changed as the Modi government scrapped Article 370 and Article 35A and opened the territory to outside players. Individuals and private companies from outside J&K were allowed to participate in mine auctions through an order issued last September. The auctions began in January.

In Kashmir, auctioning has been completed in six districts, officials said. “These [the mines auctioned] include four in Budgam, 20 in Bandipora, 10 in Srinagar, three in Ganderbal and 36 in the volatile Pulwama region,” said Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, joint director in the J&K government’s Geology and Mining Department, Tuesday. “Auctioning of mineral blocks in Shopian, Anantnag, Kulgam and Baramulla is to take place next week.”

More money for J&K
According to officials, the increased competition was bringing in more money for each block. While the maximum base price the government can set remains uniform at Rs 5 lakh for a five-year lease, the bids are now running into crores, they said.

In Pulwama alone, officials claimed, the 15 blocks up for auction were leased out at Rs 17.82 crore. They fetched Rs 2 crore the last time they were leased. All of the 10 mineral blocks identified in Srinagar were available for auction and yielded Rs 5.08 crore as opposed to Rs 1.85 crore the previous time. “A mineral block in Pulwama was auctioned at Rs 3.25 crore. In Srinagar, one block fetched Rs 1.62 crore,” Khan said. “This is unprecedented.”

Officials approached by ThePrint refused to name the outside companies that have participated in auctions, but said it was “mainly two-three companies located in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan”.

‘Damage to environment’
While the union territory administration is enthused by the increased yield, local businessmen complain that they can’t compete against big businesses from outside J&K that “have a higher net worth and are thus able to bid more successfully”. This is the first time auctions to J&K mines were held online, in line with a 2019 high court order aimed at making the process more fair.

However, sand miner Mohammad Yosuf, 60, said the e-auction was a death blow to his business. “We would manually submit our tenders. Big businessmen would do it for bigger blocks and smaller businessmen like me would do it for smaller and cheaper blocks,” he said. “Then suddenly we were told the entire process was online. With restrictions on the internet, we were at a disadvantage, but even if we overcame that, we couldn’t think of competing with the bidding prices offered by businessmen from outside Kashmir.”

Kashmir remains under partial internet restrictions six months after it saw a complete lockdown ahead of the scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A. Partial 2G connectivity was only restored late last month, with broadband still unavailable.

According to Yosuf, during an auction for a Pulwama block, a local businessman made a bid of Rs 88 lakh. “A businessman from outside J&K bid Rs 1.56 crore,” he added.
Javaid Shah, another businessman, said the developments will impact both ecology and livelihood in Kashmir. “Take, for instance, a block where we extract stones used for construction. Our labourers would handpick the stones, thus leaving the sand beneath it intact,” he added.

“When big money from outside Kashmir will arrive, they might simply use heavy extraction machines instead of laborers. The machines will dig up the entire earth instead of just stones. This means loss of livelihood and damage to the environment.”

 
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Galaxy

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Kashmir need to start an armed struggle as soon as possible,otherwise they can wait until doomsday to get rid of the hindus.Learn from Afghanis.
 

Galaxy

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
On the other hand I dont know if Jihad is in Kashmiri blood.They are more waiting for the pakistanis to do their Jihad,which will not be possible unless India declare all out war on pakistan.
 

Galaxy

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
If kashmiris would be fighters they would have never let Dogras rulle on them on first place, for such a long time.
 

desan

President (40k+ posts)
On the other hand I dont know if Jihad is in Kashmiri blood.They are more waiting for the pakistanis to do their Jihad,which will not be possible unless India declare all out war on pakistan.

It is not easy to fight against a million man ruthless army...

One should not minimize their struggle and sacrifices.

PS: Do not compare with the failed US operation in Afghanistan.
 

AhmadSaleem264

Minister (2k+ posts)
Can someone draw a comparison why insurgency inside afghanistan is successful but not in kashmir beside the fact that kashmiris hate india to the core and got a hilly jungle terrain which is perfect for gorilla warfare
 

abdulmasih

Politcal Worker (100+ posts)
If kashmiris would be fighters they would have never let Dogras rulle on them on first place, for such a long time.

dogras .?
punjabis and pashtuns surrendered and were sbdued and enslaved by sikhs and raja ranjit singh .
 

PIND-WALA

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
It is not easy to fight against a million man ruthless army...

One should not minimize their struggle and sacrifices.

PS: Do not compare with the failed US operation in Afghanistan.
I think Galaxy has a valid argument. Struggle did not start in Kashmit untill 80's . Fighting is simply not in Kashmiri blood. Afghans are whole different species.
 

PIND-WALA

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Can someone draw a comparison why insurgency inside afghanistan is successful but not in kashmir beside the fact that kashmiris hate india to the core and got a hilly jungle terrain which is perfect for gorilla warfare
Because Kashmiris are not fighting type.
 

Liberal 000

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
dogras .?
punjabis and pashtuns surrendered and were sbdued and enslaved by sikhs and raja ranjit singh .

I think Galaxy has a valid argument. Struggle did not start in Kashmit untill 80's . Fighting is simply not in Kashmiri blood. Afghans are whole different species.

you cannot compare Afghanistan with Kashmir

Just 15 thousand American soldiers are ruling over 3 crore Afghans while 5 lack Indian soldiers are for 80 lac Kashmiris

The most important thing is Afghanistan is not an attot ang of America while India considers Kashmir as its integral Part
 

Galaxy

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
just check the history bro.No one ever ruled Afghanis where Kashmiris were always under foreign rule. you show me any muslim kashmiri ruler . Kashmiris are mostly Bidditti . Worshiping Peers and graves.
 

Galaxy

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
No Peer will or have fought for them.A very strong believe in one Allah and his last messengers fighting life is required for Jihad.
 

AhmadSaleem264

Minister (2k+ posts)
you cannot compare Afghanistan with Kashmir

Just 15 thousand American soldiers are ruling over 3 crore Afghans while 5 lack Indian soldiers are for 80 lac Kashmiris

The most important thing is Afghanistan is not an attot ang of America while India considers Kashmir as its integral Part
America has just reduced its army now previously it had more than two hundred thousand soldiers along with other allies and also the Afghan national forces. In numbers they are close to indian army in Kashmir.
Moreover most of Indian army in Kashmir is on borders whereas in Afghanistan they have little or no presence on borders.
Technologically usa army is way ahead of indian army
 

Liberal 000

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
America has just reduced its army now previously it had more than two hundred thousand soldiers along with other allies and also the Afghan national forces. In numbers they are close to indian army in Kashmir.
Moreover most of Indian army in Kashmir is on borders whereas in Afghanistan they have little or no presence on borders.
Technologically usa army is way ahead of indian army

For last 5 years there are only 15 thousand American soldiers in Afghanistan
 

AdamA

Senator (1k+ posts)
For last 5 years there are only 15 thousand American soldiers in Afghanistan

Those are officially on the DOD books. However, you need to account for the 'private contractors' whose number is unknown.

If there were only 15,000 troops, the Taleban would have taken over the Country by now. Moreover, there are over 400,000 Afghan National troops.
 

AdamA

Senator (1k+ posts)
No Peer will or have fought for them.A very strong believe in one Allah and his last messengers fighting life is required for Jihad.

If this was the case, we would have been in Srinagar on 29 Feburary 2019. The same people who put Sheikh Abdullah (a Qadiani) in Kashmir also contol the Pakistan Armed Forces since 1947.