GOVT AMENDS LAWS TO ALLOW ANY CITIZEN TO BUY LAND IN J&K

SRINAGAR: The Centre has paved the way for people from outside Jammu & Kashmir to buy land in the Union Territory by amending several laws, over a year after it repealed Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution that accorded the erstwhile state special status.

In a gazette notification, the Centre has omitted the phrase “permanent resident of the state” from Section 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act that deals with disposal of the land in the UT.

Before repeal of Article 370 and Article 35A on August 5 last year, non-residents could not buy any immovable property in Jammu & Kashmir. However, the fresh changes have paved the way for non-residents to buy land there.

The Centre has paved the way for people from outside Jammu and Kashmir to buy land in the Union territory by amending several laws, over a year after the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution.

In a gazette notification, the Centre has omitted the phrase “permanent resident of the state” from Section 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act that deals with disposal of the land in the UT

Before repeal of Article 370 and Article 35-A in August last year, non-residents could not buy any immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the fresh changes have paved the way for non-residents to buy land in the UT.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha told reporters that the amendments did not allow transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturists. However, there are several exemptions in the Act which enable transfer of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, including setting up of educational or health care facilities. Former Advocate General Mohammad Ishaq Qadri said the amendments have opened floodgates for people from outside Jammu and Kashmir to buy lands. “Now there is no legal bar on purchase of land here by outsiders,” he said.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the amendments were “unacceptable”.

“Unacceptable amendments

Unacceptable amendments to the land ownership laws... J&K is now up for sale & the poorer small land holding owners will suffer

OMAR ABDULLAH,

National Conference leader

to the land ownership laws of J&K. Even the tokenism of domicile has been done away with when purchasing non-agricultural land & transfer of agricultural land has been made easier. J&K is now up for sale & the poorer small land holding owners will suffer,” Omar tweeted.

“Interesting that the Centre waited till the elections to LAHDC had concluded & the BJP had won a majority before putting Ladakh up for sale. This is what Ladakhis got for trusting the assurances of the BJP,” Omar further tweeted.

PDP president and vice president People’s Alliance Gupkar decalaration, Mehbooba Mufti this order is aimed to disempower people. “Yet another step thats part of GOI’s nefarious designs to disempower & disenfranchise people of J&K. From the unconstitutional scrapping of Article 370 to facilitating loot of our natural resources & finally putting land in J&K up for sale,” Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.

“After failing on all fronts to provide roti & rozgar to people, BJP is creating such laws to whet the appetite of a gullible electorate. Such brazen measures reinforces the need of people of all three provinces of J&K to fight unitedly,” she further tweeted.

J&K Peoples Conference said that they have taken down the statement on the fresh amendments in land laws. “We are awaiting a collective response on this matter.”

Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday reiterated his Party’s position vis-à-vis restoration of statehood to J&K along with comprehensive domicile rights on land and jobs for its residents.

“The party will go through the gazette notification issued by the union government today with regard to land rights in J&K and would take up its reservations

From the unconstitutional scrapping of Article 370 to facilitating loot of our natural resources & finally putting land in J&K up for sale

MEHBOOBA MUFTI,

PDP president

before the top leadership in the country. From day one our Party’s stand has been very clear on these vital issues. People should understand that our constitutionally guaranteed rights have been taken away long back and whatever was left, was snatched on August 5, 2019 when Articles 370 and 35-A were abrogated. However, Apni Party will continue its fight for the rights of people and will resist any move that is against the interests of residents of J&K,” Bukhari said.

J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said that nobody is going to take away any agricultural land from people of J&K. “Agricultural land has been reserved for farmers and no outsider is going to come into that. We are identifying industrial areas and we surely want that industries come here like other states of the country, so that youths get jobs,” Sinha said .

Agricultural land has been reserved for farmers... We are identifying industrial areas and we surely want that industries come here

MANOJ SINHA ,

Lt Governor , Jammu and Kashmir