Tosa Maidan lease agreement: Two months on, Govt still indecisive on alternate place for firing range

Will send report to Govt soon: Div Com

Srinagar: Over two months after the lease agreement between the army and the state government expired on Tosa Maidan firing range, the government is yet to issue any formal order to de-notify the firing range.

Despite the large scale protests for relocation of the Tosa Miadain firing range, the authorities have also failed so far to identify an alternative place. According to the reports received by KNS, the army is still in control of the Tosa Maidan meadows with the government in slumber over taking steps for the alternative place for the army.

Reports maintained that after the lease agreement between the army and the government had ended two months ago and earlier had also identified two locations in north  and south Kashmir wherein it had expressed its will for relocation of the firing range, the government still has not taken any step in this regard on ground. It however maintained that in the near future a decision in this regard shall be taken.

Reports informed KNS that after the series of protest demonstrations were held in valley over the relocation of the Tosa Maidan firing range by the political parties and civil societies, the state authorities swing into action and held series of meetings with the army over the issue. The government informed the army over the ground situation into this regard and army later identified two locations, one in south and one in north Kashmir so that the firing range could be relocated.  The army, according to reports had written a detailed intimation about its willingness of relocating the firing range from Tosa Maidan, however, the government is yet to take final call over the issue.

Official reports informed KNS that despite around two months have passed when the lease agreement ended the government is yet to initiate any action into the proposal put forth by the army for relocating its firing range to other places from Tosa Maidan.

The divisional commissioner Kashmir Mr Shalider Kumar when contacted by KNS stated that the steps for the relocation of the firing range are being taken and that a report in this regard shall be sent by him to the government in near future. “We are identifying the places for the army. I traveled to several places in valley so that a place for the firing range is identified and finalized. I can only tell you that very soon I am going to send a detailed report in this regard to the state authorities,” maintained the Divisional commissioner.