J&K administration okays 5-marla land scheme for landless people

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, August 25

The J&K administration has sanctioned the scheme to allocate five marlas of state land to landless individuals on lease basis, ensuring that only those having domicile in the UT can avail the benefit. This scheme, launched by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in July this year, faced criticism from Kashmir-based political parties, prompting the administration to provide clarifications about the eligible beneficiaries.

The Revenue Department issued a set of guidelines, granting approval for the scheme to landless beneficiaries of the PMAY(G)/Awas Plus programme.

The people, out of the Rural Development Department’s permanent waiting list 2018-19, eligible for the scheme include those residing on state land, forest land, rakhs and farms.

The official order specifies that individuals eligible for housing under the PMAY-G but lacking land fall under this category as well. To be deemed landless, an individual must have the J&K domicile, possess a separate family, not own land in his or her name or family members’ names, and not be entitled to inherit five marlas or more of land.

Beneficiaries will obtain the land by paying a token amount of Rs 100 per marla as a one-time premium and an annual ground rent of Rs 1 per marla, as stated in the relaxation of the J&K Land Grant Rules, 2022. The lease will be valid for 40 years, with the possibility of a further 40-year extension, subject to meeting all requirements and norms.