2.81 Lakh Kanal of Land With Multiple Defence Agencies Across Jammu Kashmir, Govt Reveals in Assembly | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Over 2.81 lakh kanal of land in Jammu and Kashmir is under the possession or occupation of the Army and other defence establishments, with a significant portion comprising private land, the government informed the Assembly, even as compensation and procedural issues continue to affect landowners in several districts.

Replying to a question tabled by MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, the Revenue Department said that 2,81,082 kanal and 10 marla of land is currently under defence use across the Union Territory. The data reveals that Jammu district accounts for the largest share at 93,671 kanal, followed by Budgam with over 75,772 kanal, Udhampur with 31,091 kanal, and Baramulla with more than 20,365 kanal, indicating a wide geographic spread of defence-related land occupation across both divisions.

Other districts with substantial land under defence possession include Pulwama (20,896 kanal), Poonch (over 21,000 kanal), Rajouri (21,145 kanal), Kathua (14,765 kanal) and Kupwara (over 10,366 kanal), while smaller holdings are reported in districts such as Srinagar, Shopian, Kulgam and Ganderbal.

The government said that compensation has largely been disbursed in cases where land has been formally acquired, while rental payments are being made for requisitioned land. However, it acknowledged that several cases remain pending due to litigation, title disputes, missing documentation and procedural delays, particularly in districts like Jammu and Poonch. In Poonch, out of over Rs 19.24 crore received, about Rs 16.46 crore has been disbursed, leaving a balance pending due to legal and verification issues.

In the Jammu district, compensation has been paid in most cases, but some payments are pending due to missing bank details and court-related matters. In the Kashmir division, while compensation for acquired land has largely been cleared in districts like Anantnag and Kupwara, delays in rental payments for requisitioned land persist due to the non-availability of funds and administrative bottlenecks.

The Assembly was also informed that the digitisation of revenue records is underway, with the scanning of thousands of jamabandis already completed. While several services are available online through platforms like Revenue Plus and JanSugam, the government said that the physical presence of applicants is still required in certain cases, particularly where field verification is necessary, which explains continued visits to revenue offices.

On land use regulation, the government said a high-level committee headed by the Deputy Chief Minister has been constituted in September 2025 to examine issues related to the change of land use, including khad (riverine/floodplain) lands. Further action, it said, will follow after submission of the committee’s report.

Additionally, the government disclosed that hundreds of land use change cases remain pending across districts, primarily due to delays in obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from various departments and non-payment of requisite fees by applicants.

The data underscores the scale of defence land occupation in Jammu and Kashmir and highlights persistent administrative and legal challenges in compensation disbursement and land management, particularly in cases involving private landowners.