Natural Calamities: J&K Govt to lease 5-marla state land to persons, rendered landless, for 40 yrs: CM Omar Abdullah

Jammu, Feb 21: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stated that the J&K government will lease 5 Marla state land to each family, rendered landless due to recent natural calamities i.e., floods, landslide, cloudbursts, earthquakes in 2025 in Jammu and Kashmir, for residential purposes.

The land will be leased without charging any premium yet with an annual ground rent of Rs 10 per Marla for a period of 40 years.

The lease will be further extendable as per rules after due approval by the competent authority, subject to fulfilment of certain conditions.

CM Omar has stated it in a reply to the question of National Conference MLA Shamim Firdous put up in the J&K Legislative Assembly.

Shamim had asked the government if the government intended to introduce a policy in respect of providing land or house to landless or houseless families residing in Srinagar.

In response, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the Minister in-charge Revenue, stated that there was no such proposal under consideration in the department.

He, however, clarified that vide Administrative Council decision number 64/5/2023 dated June 21, 2023 followed by Government order number 118-JK (Rev) of 2023 dated August 24, 2023, sanction was accorded for the allotment of 5 Marlas of state land on lease basis in favour of landless PMAY(G)/Awas Plus beneficiaries out of Rural Development Department’s permanent waiting list (PMAY rural) 2018-19 as per the guidelines mentioned in the aforesaid Government Order.

“Besides, vide Council of Ministers’ decision number 144/19/2025 dated December 22, 2025 followed by Government Order No 01-JK (Rev) of 2026 dated January 2, 2026, sanction has been accorded to the grant of state land measuring 5 Marla in favour of each landless family rendered landless due to recent natural calamities (i.e., floods, landslide, cloudbursts, earthquakes) in 2025 in Jammu and Kashmir on lease basis for residential purposes,” the Chief Minister stated, while quoting the government order of January 2, 2026, with regard to people rendered houseless during natural calamities of August-September, 2025.

As per the order, the land will be granted (on lease) “without charging any premium and an annual ground rent of Rs 10 per Marla for a period of 40 years, further extendable as per rules after due approval by the competent authority, subject to conditions.”

As per the conditions, a committee headed by Assistant Commissioner, Revenue (ACR) or Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) concerned and Tehsildar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Block Development Officer (BDO), Executive Engineer concerned as members will conduct thorough enquiry of the affected families whose houses have been damaged due to any of the natural calamity (floods, landslide, cloudbursts, earthquakes) that occurred during August or September, 2025 and will have become landless or houseless due to them (natural calamity) and prepare a certified list of all eligible families.

The list will be vetted by the concerned Deputy Commissioner. The affected families are properly enumerated, verified and duly certified (as per the Revenue Records) by the District Disaster Management

Authority headed by Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district. The affected family will be determined on the basis of revenue records duly verified by District Disaster Management Authority and in case of deceased, all the legal heirs will jointly be considered as one family.

The District Disaster Management Authority will verify that the land with or without the appurtenant residential structure which is claimed to have been damaged or washed away in recent natural calamity was in existence and owned by the affected family and the affected family does not own any other proprietary land within the affected village and also due to this natural disaster or natural calamity the family has been rendered landless.

The District Disaster Management Authority will vet the final list of landless families rendered landless due to natural calamity that occurred during the month of August/September 2025.

The conditions have specified that the lessee will use the land only for the purpose for which it is granted, any contravention will terminate the lease and land shall be resumed to the government without any compensation.

It has been specified that this scheme of grant of state land on lease basis to such families rendered landless by the recent natural calamity or disasters will be limited to domiciles of UT of J&K only.

“This scheme of grant of state land on lease basis to such families will be limited to rural areas only. Only such affected family or all the legal heirs jointly will be eligible who is or are already existing in the verified list of DDMA and is entitled to the ex-gratia relief or has received such relief under SDRF or NDRF norms,” the conditions stipulate.

“This order will only be applicable in cases which were affected by the natural calamity or disaster between August 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025. The application for grant of land should be made by or before March 31, 2026 before the concerned Deputy Commissioner. In case of death of lessee, all his lawful heirs or successors will be entitled to succeed to the leased premises,” it has been specified.