At least 16.64 lakh kanal land in Jammu and Kashmir is under illegal occupation, the government informed the legislative assembly on Wednesday.
In written reply to a cut motions of legislators Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami and Hakim Muhammad Yasin, the minister for revenue Abdur Rehman Veeri has said that 16,64,299 kanal state land is under illegal occupation and of this, 12,15,382 kanal is in Jammu and 4,48,917 kanal in Kashmir.
The district-wise break-up of such land, as per the government, is: Srinagar (39,414 kanal), Budgam (27,804 kanal), Anantnag (33710 kanal), Pulwama (44,404 kanal), Baramulla (64,666 kanal), Kupwara (55802 kanal), Ganderbal (38,490 kanal), Bandipora (17,444 kanal), Kulgam (92,432 kanal) and Shopian (34,751 kanal).
For Jammu province, the district-wise figures for such land are: Jammu (1,62,384 kanal), Samba (77,538 kanal), Kathua (85,598 kanal), Reasi (1,54,654 kanal), Udhampur (60,089 kanal), Doda (87,998 kanal), Kishtwar (30,215 kanal), Ramban (1,15,985 kanal), Rajouri (2,97,417 kanal) and Poonch (1,43,504 kanal).
According to the minister, 7,14,082 kanal land has been retrieved from the occupants—4335 kanal in Kashmir and 6,70,747 in Jammu province.
The minister, in his written reply, said that “sincere” efforts are being made to retrieve the remaining state/kacgcharai/evacuee land from illegal occupants.
A comprehensive eviction scheme has already been notified and circulated amongst all revenue field agencies for strict compliance, the reply states.