Srinagar, (Samajweekly) The change of land use order by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration in Jammu and Kashmir came under heavy criticism on Friday by local politicians including two former chief ministers.
An order issued by the administration council on Thursday allowed the change of land use from agricultural to non-agricultural purposes under certain conditions prescribed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Under the existing laws, the conversion of land from agricultural to non-agricultural purpose is banned. Lands under sufficient irrigation are exclusively reserved for agricultural purposes and these cannot be used for any other purpose including construction of buildings etc.
Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Kashmir Valley, has been suffering from the unlawful conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes and this has literally shrunk the cultivable land, thereby making the Valley totally dependent on outside states for rice, wheat etc.
The administrative council which met under the chairmanship of Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the regulations framed by the board of revenue for conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.
Officials said these regulations were necessitated after the legislative changes in the land revenue act post reorganisation of the erstwhile state.
“The new guidelines have been issued to regulate the uncontrolled conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes on the one hand and keep the developmental aspirations of the UT and the people on the other,” officials said.
Doubting the intention of the Lt governor-led administration, former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah Friday lashed out at the administration for changes in the land use laws, claiming that the new policy would adversely impact the people of the union territory.
Mufti alleged the new laws enabling conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural purposes reveals designs to engineer demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The development agenda is a ruse. Latest regulation doesn’t even require the 15 year domicile certificate as a prerequisite”, Mufti tweeted.
“After depriving locals of their rightful share of government jobs, such abrupt policy decisions that pave the way for outsiders to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir are taken only to further disempower locals,” she alleged.
National Conference vice president, Omar Abdullah said the changes in the land use rules would undo the major reform undertaken in the erstwhile state.
“Allowing use of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes is another nail in the coffin of the land to the tiller reforms in J&K. This landmark reform has been a major reason for the low levels of poverty and it will also threaten the food security of the people of J&K.
“The fact that this conversion of land use doesn’t even require the 15 year domicile certificate as a prerequisite will also rekindle fears about the motives behind such decisions,” Omar Abdullah said.
CPI-M leader, M.Y. Tarigami also criticised the changes made to the land use laws.
“The slogan of development is a red herring. Converting agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes is a plot to serve the interests of corporate and real estate.”
