Mehbooba Unveils Anti-Land Eviction Bill for Next Jammu Kashmir Assembly Session

SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday announced the submission of  The Jammu and Kashmir Land Rights and Regularisation Bill, 2025—also known as the Anti-Bulldozer Bill—for consideration in the upcoming session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The proposed legislation seeks to regularise land holdings of individuals, families, and institutions that have been in continuous possession of land for over 30 years. It aims to provide ownership rights, prevent arbitrary evictions, and ensure long-term social and economic stability across the Union Territory.

Highlighting the ongoing land and lease crisis in Gulmarg and other regions, Ms. Mufti criticised the implementation of the Land Grant Rules, 2022, which ended the renewal of decades-old leases. She warned that dozens of hotels operating on expired leases now face government takeover through auctions, severely impacting Kashmir’s tourism economy.

“Nearly 60 hotels in Gulmarg, including heritage establishments like Nedous and Highlands Park, have received takeover notices from the Gulmarg Development Authority. Hoteliers who invested heavily are now facing financial ruin, legal uncertainty, and threats to their livelihoods,” Mufti said.

She added that the absence of a clear policy on lease renewal and land regularisation has triggered widespread distress in the hospitality sector, undermining investor confidence and endangering thousands of jobs.

“Despite repeated assurances by the Chief Minister to protect the land rights of the people, no tangible policy or legal stance has been taken to defend these rights in courts,” she said, accusing the government of indifference towards the concerns of local stakeholders.

Confirming that PDP legislators have formally submitted the Bill, Mufti reaffirmed her party’s commitment to defending the land and property rights of long-term occupants. She urged the government to adopt and implement the proposed legislation or introduce its own version, assuring full PDP support for any genuine measure that protects people’s land rights.