In compliance with the orders of the Jammu Kashmir administration, the revenue officials have appealed to people to vacate the “encroached” state land or else legal action will be taken against them.
The order of the Jammu Kashmir administration to vacate the “state land” by January 31 started with the identification of the land across Jammu Kashmir for which the Revenue Department undertook a massive exercise throughout the districts of Kashmir valley and Jammu.
The Kashmiriyat reported that over 1,65,000 Kanal of land falls under various categories of state land in central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.
The move has evoked widespread criticism and protests across Jammu Kashmir, however, LG Manoj Sinha has said that the Common masses, the poor wouldn’t be touched by the ‘State Land’ eviction drive.
Talking to reporters, LG Manoj Sinha said common masses and poor people wouldn’t be touched during the ongoing drive against land encroachers in Jammu Kashmir. “Common man and poor people wouldn’t be touched by the administration. The government is concerned to safeguard the interests of poor people,” he said.
He said that the influential people misused their positions and encroached on state land in violation of the laws. He also claimed that there were directions from the High Court to retrieve state land from encroachers.
In documents accessed by The Kashmiriyat, the names of the Governor house, influential schools, Government Departments have appeared in the list of the “encroachers” in the central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.
As per the document, Regional Engineering College Saderbal has encroached 19 marla of state land, as per the documents.
Several influential schools from Srinagar have “encroached” state land worth hundreds of Kanal of land.
As per the document, Woodland School in Srinagar has “encroached” land falling under various categories of state land under the Khasra numbers 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 1364/ 248. The measurement of state land “encroached” under these Khasra numbers is 13 M, 16 M, 3 M, 1 K 16 M, 2 K 7 M, 15 M, 1 K 5 M, 9 M, 18 M, 6 K 10 M.
Srinagar’s Bisco School has also encroached land under registered under the Khasra numbers 116, 117, 661/ 118, 695/ 111, 113, 114, 115, 666/ 111 measuring 1 K 5M, 2 K, 15 K 13 M, 3 K, 11 M, 17 6 M, 13 K 4 M, 2 K 12 M, 5 M respectively.
Land registered under the Khasra number 709/ 117 is under Burnhall school and is 11 Kanal 9 Marla.
The Army School in Srinagar has 17 patches of land under it registered under the Khasra numbers 542/25, 543/ 25, 26, 544/ 27, 29, 547/ 28, 30, 1, 34, 35, 548/ 32, 550/ 36, 553/ 37, 560/25, 551/ 36. 632/ 37. The measurement of the land respectively is 1 K 13 M, 15 k 11 m, 7 k 4 m, 5 k 1 m, 6k, 4 k 12m, 5 k, 4k 14 m, 10 k 1m, 9k 18 m, 9 k 13 m, 7 k 10 m, 2 k, 18m 12 m, 1 k 13 m.
The name of several politicians and Governor house has appeared on the list of the documents prepared by the Revenue Department of Jammu Kashmir.
The irrigation department has encroached 293 Kanal of state land at two different places in central Shalteng revenue tehsil while Public Works Department has ‘encroached’ upon 35 Kanal and 6 Marla of state land.
UNMOGIP office has encroached upon 10 Kanal and 10 Marla of state land in Srinagar south.
The Governor house at Asthal under five Kharsa numbers is “encroached” on four Kanals and 18 marla of state land.
Sheeraz Cinema in Srinagar is on 5 marlas of state land, as per the official records.
A revenue official told The Kashmiriyat that any department the lists prepared by the Revenue Department are at par with the 2001 revenue cenuses. “However,” he said, “several encroachments have come up in the Kashmir valley which will also be removed as per the order of the Jammu Kashmir administration.”