INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Srinagar: The Centre has paved the way for people from outside Jammu and Kashmir to buy land in the Union Territory by amending several
laws, drawing sharp reaction from various political parties and leaders in J-K barring the BJP
deliberate attempt to usurp the rights of the people of the erstwhile state.More than a year after the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A
of the Constitution, the Union ministry of home affairs on Monday evening in a gazette notification in Hindi and English announced that
most important tweak has been made in the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act that deals with disposal of land in the Union Territory as the
Centre has omitted the phrase "permanent resident of the state" from Section 17 of the law.The PAGD condemned the repeal of J-K Land Laws
saying that it strips the permanent residents of J-K and Ladakh of their exclusive right to acquire and hold immovable property and vowed to
fight these on all fronts
Even the tokenism of domicile has been done away with when purchasing non-agricultural land and transfer of agricultural land has been made
president Mehbooba Mufti said it was a step to "disenfranchise" the people of Jammu and Kashmir
"Yet another step that's part of GOI's nefarious designs to disempower - disenfranchise people of J-K
From the unconstitutional scrapping of Article 370 to facilitating loot of our natural resources and finally putting land in J-K up for
Article 370 and Article 35-A in August last year, non-residents could not buy any immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir
However, the fresh changes have paved the way for any citizen to buy land in the Union Territory.Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha told
reporters that the amendments did not allow transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturists
However, there are several exemptions in the Act which enable transfer of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, including setting
The amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act allow the buying of land by anyone as words such as domicile or Permanent Resident
Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020, and that it comes into force with immediate effect.
