Thaindian News

Jammu, Dec 20 (IANS) Normal life was affected in parts of this city Tuesday as the Bar Association of Jammu called a strike to demand the rollback of the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to transfer land and property registration from the judiciary to the executive.

Some parts of Jammu saw a partial response while others saw a complete shutdown. The closure was more intense in the first half of the day around the court complex area of Janipur.

Lawyers and people from organisations supporting the strike later took out a rally, moving from the walled city to other parts of Jammu amid extra police deployment made to enforce law and order.

The rallyists were shouting slogans against the government and demanding rollback of the order.

Commuter vehicles were plying in outer areas of the city, thus affecting attendances in offices and educational institutions.

Dilbagh Singh, the inspector general of police of Jammu Zone, told mediapersons, “The bandh is so far peaceful with no untoward incident reported from any part of the city.”

The bar association’s call is supported by over a dozen business and social organisations in Jammu which are opposed to the transfer of registration powers to revenue department officials who are also executive magistrates of the area.

Jagar Mal Gupta, who owns a general merchandise shop in the posh Gandhi Nagar locality, said he would keep his shop closed Tuesday in support of the lawyers’ demand.

“I feel that powers of registration should be with the judiciary as the common man will otherwise be burdened with greasing the palms of revenue officials who are corrupt from top to bottom,” Jagar observed.

Most shops, business establishments and commuter vehicles did not operate in the morning.

The government’s logic behind the decision is that it will increase “direct revenue through stamp paper duty, and also the records of lands and properties are with the revenue department, which will make things easier for common man”.

But lawyers feel that besides many of them losing business due to the move, the common man will be “harassed by corrupt revenue officials”.

Bar Association president B.S. Salathia said: “We will take our protest to a logical conclusion.”