Srinagar, Dec 29, KDC: The Land Grant Rules may be put in backburner as a political leader close to power corridors in New Delhi is believed to be lobbying on behalf of land grabbers.
The leader is trying to convince New Delhi that the land grant rules may put a common Kashmiri businessmen in ‘dock’ while helping the elites.
Reports reaching Srinagar based news agency Kashmir Dot Com said that some businessmen have approached the leader to use political influence for withdrawal of recently notified rules.
The leader recently tried best to convenience administration at different levels, they said adding that “This political leader is literally running from pillar to post to seek withdrawal of rules or at least an amendment so that the occupiers of leased properties could continue to hold possession of government land.”
A group of persons illegally holding possession of government land to which otherwise lease expired decades ago, are also using influences to ‘plant stories’ through some media houses in Kashmir to ‘pressurize’ authorities for the withdrawal of notification.
As per a notification issued by the Revenue Department, these rules would not apply to the categories of land transferred to the Housing and Urban Development Department and its agencies or to any other department of the government, provided “such a department or its agencies will auction the leases of such land through their own policy or in case no such policy is framed, through forward auction till such policy is framed by the department and subsisting or expired residential leases executed under the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grant Rules,1960, for which a separate policy will be notified by the government.”
However, these rules would apply to land transferred to or under the possession of Tourism Development Authorities.
The rules also provided for the constitution of an Empowered Committee headed by the Financial Commissioner, Revenue.
The notification has specified that notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, the government reserves the right to grant land on lease to the Union Territory or Central Government Departments or any of its agencies, statutory board, or corporations or such other government entities as may be prescribed by it without adopting the mode of auction as provided under these rules.
According to the notification, all the outgoing lessees, except in the case of subsisting and expired leases for residential purposes, would immediately hand over the possession of the land taken on lease to the government, failing which the outgoing lessee shall be evicted.
Interestingly, the lease agreement between the maximum number of hoteliers and government in the famous ski resort Gulmarg expired around a decade ago. Unlike the previous up to 99 years of the lease, the new rules prescribe lease period not exceeding 40 years.
“The government has asked the outgoing leaseholders to evict properties or else face evictions under the new rules,” the official said.
“The new rules have hundreds of properties open for fresh auction. There must be no further delay to evict illegal occupants and make fresh auctions,” said a group of hoteliers.
“It would be a welcome step if the land grant rules favour common man instead of elite, though that doesn’t seem to happen,” they said. (KDC)
