Srinagar, Mar 8, KDC: The allotment of land to Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan was part of an industrial allotment under the J&K State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) in 2024.
According to an official document accessed by the Srinagar-based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com, the land, measuring 206 Kanals, was allotted to M/s Ceylon Beverage Can Pvt. Ltd., a Sri Lankan-based company, for setting up a Can and End Manufacturing Plant along with PET Filling & Can Filling facilities at Industrial Estate Bhagthali-II, Kathua.
The allotment was sanctioned following the 6th meeting of the Apex Level Land Allotment Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, J&K UT, on March 15, 2024. As per Order No. SIDCO/ROJ/2024/279, dated 01-06-2024, the land was allotted on a 40-year lease, extendable to 99 years under specified conditions. The company was required to pay a premium of Rs. 8 lakh per Kanal and an annual lease rent of Rs. 6,000 per Kanal, payable in advance.
The government maintained in its documents that the allotment followed the J&K Industrial Land Allotment Policy 2021-30 and aimed to promote industrial growth in the region. They emphasized that no special provision was made for any individual, including Muttiah Muralitharan, whose name was mentioned in the Assembly debate.
A heated debate erupted in the J&K Legislative Assembly on Saturday, where several legislators questioned the transparency of the land allotment.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami was the first to raise the issue, expressing concern over how a foreign national was granted land in J&K. “A Sri Lankan cricketer has been given land in Kathua. How was this allotment processed, and under what provisions?” Tarigami asked, though he did not initially name the cricketer, reported news agency Kashmir Dot Com.
Joining the debate, Congress MLA Ghulam Ahmad Mir called the matter “serious” and demanded an immediate investigation. “How can a non-Indian cricketer be allotted land in Jammu & Kashmir? This needs to be looked into as a priority,” he said.
In response, Minister for Agriculture Production Department Javaid Ahmad Dar acknowledged the concerns but clarified that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Revenue Department, which would examine the facts. (KDC)
