More than 21,400 hectare (428000 kanals) of land are under unauthorised occupation of army and other government forces in Jammu and Kashmir, the state legislative assembly was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti informed the House that over 18,846 hectare (376920 kanal) are under unauthorised occupation of the forces in Kashmir division, including Ladakh.
She added that over 2,555 hectare (51100 kanal) of land are under unauthorised occupation of the army in Jammu division.
The chief minister maintained that this was in addition to thousands of hectares of state, acquired, requisitioned, leased and hired land under the “illegal occupation of the army and other security forces in the state.”
Mehbooba, who also heads the home portfolio, shared the information in response to a question by National Conference legislator Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar, who sought district-wise details of land occupied by security forces in the state.
The PDP leader said that a major chunk of over 12,940 hectare of land are under the illegal occupation of army and other security forces in Ladakh region, followed by 5,906 hectare in Kashmir and 2,555 hectares in Jammu division.
“Kishtwar in Jammu region is the only district where the army and other security forces do not hold any unauthorised land,” she said.
The chief minister said that Leh district of Ladakh was leading the table with over 7,197 hectare of land under the unauthorised occupation of army and other security forces, followed by Kargil (5,742.9 hectare).
Bandipora and Baramulla together accounted for 3,403.8 hectare of land under the unauthorised occupation of security forces, she said.
In Kashmir division, Shopian district accounted for 31.3 hectare of land under unauthorised occupation of forces, lowest in the division, the chief minister added.