Thaindian News

Jammu, Dec 20 (IANS) The Bar Association of Jammu called a general strike here Tuesday to demand the rollback of the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to transfer land and property registration from the judiciary to the executive.

The bar association’s call is supported by over a dozen business and social organisations in Jammu who 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, will 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 the “direct revenue of the government through stamp paper duty and also, the records of lands and properties are with revenue department, which will make things easier for common man”.

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.”