The Indian Army is ready to vacate around 3,000 kanals (375 acres) of land at the Kargil Lower Plateau. This process is going to commence from March, paving the way for a civilian township.
The Kurbathang plateau was being used for field and firing range, logistics, and operational purposes reported The New Indian Express. As per the memorandum, the Army would start vacating the land by March and hand over its control to the civil administration in six months.
Baseer-ul-Haq also said that the Indian Army would be getting an alternative tract of close to 3,000 kanals at two places in Kargil. One of them would be near the Maratha Unit of Kurbathang and the other at Mulbekh. This would help in the establishment of a new and planned township in Kargil under the Smart City Project.
In 2015, the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu & Kashmir had asked the Army to vacate the Khurbathang plateau. It had also decided that the Army would be getting alternative locations at Mulbekh and upper Yogmathang.
When Baseer-ul-Haq was asked about the future of the project, he said, "It will be decided after proper guidelines and protocols are framed. The guidelines will decide on providing compensation, if any, to the Army for the structures."