No allotments, repeated policy resets, land crunch expose systemic failure

Srinagar, Mar 28: A flagship initiative aimed at boosting industrial growth in Jammu and Kashmir has come under sharp scrutiny, as official data reveals prolonged delays, policy inconsistencies, and a widening gap between promise and delivery in Jammu and Kashmir’s industrial land allotment system.

The online portal for industrial land allocation re-launched by the Industries and Commerce Department on October 22, 2022, was projected as a cornerstone of the government’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ framework.

Designed to ensure transparency, efficiency, and timely allotments, the platform received a strong response, especially from young, technically qualified entrepreneurs across the Kashmir division.

However, nearly four years later, the system appears mired in administrative inertia, leaving thousands of applicants in limbo.

According to official figures, a total of 5085 applications including 1345 spillover case were received by July 31, 2024.

These applications represented substantial entrepreneurial investment, with applicants submitting Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), financial plans, and non-refundable processing fees ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.

Despite this strong response, there has been virtually no movement toward actual land allotment.

The 11th meeting of the High-Level Land Allotment Committee (HLLAC), held on August 31, 2023, only discussed broad criteria for evaluating applications, without approving any allotments.

Nearly a year later, the 12th HLLAC meeting on August 8, 2024, also failed to allocate a single plot.

In a controversial move, the department introduced additional procedural requirements instead of advancing allotments.

Authorities uploaded 38 new land parcels and mandated all applicants including those who had applied in 2022 and 2023 to reapply with updated preferences and revised DPRs.

While officials justified the move as necessary for “fairness” and “transparency,” it effectively reset the entire process, forcing thousands of applicants back to square one.

From December 19, 2024, to January 31, 2026, total applications rose to 5827. However, only 742 new applications were submitted during this period, a sharp decline compared to the 3740 applications received earlier.

Observers say this drop reflects growing disillusionment among entrepreneurs who have lost confidence in the system.

A critical structural issue lies in the stark mismatch between demand and available land.

While the total land requirement for the 5827 applications is estimated at around 29,000 kanal, the actual available land in industrial estates across Kashmir stands at just about 7000 kanal.

This discrepancy, experts argue, was evident from the outset, raising serious questions about why such a large number of applicants were encouraged to apply and pay fees despite limited capacity.

Compounding the problem, many of the identified land parcels remain undeveloped, casting doubt on the administration’s readiness to operationalise allotments even if approvals are eventually granted.

Entrepreneurs who applied in the initial phase in 2022 appear to be the worst affected.

Their DPRs, prepared at high cost, have become outdated due to inflation, rising project costs, and shifting market dynamics.

If evaluated alongside revised or fresh applications, these older proposals risk being deemed less viable, effectively penalising early applicants for administrative delays beyond their control.

The portal was marketed as a digital, transparent solution, applicants report a starkly different reality.

The system, critics argue, offers visibility only at the entry stage, while backend processes remain opaque and fragmented.

Many applicants have been forced to make repeated physical visits to government offices just to track the status of their applications or confirm whether committee meetings have been held.

The data also points to a lack of coordination within and between departments.

Despite over a year and a half of governance under the current administration, there has been little visible effort to resolve the backlog, streamline procedures, or fix accountability.

Industry stakeholders say the Industries Department tasked with facilitating industrial growth appears disconnected from the challenges faced by aspiring entrepreneurs on the ground.

The unfolding situation highlights a stark contradiction between policy narrative and ground reality.

While the government continues to promote “Ease of Doing Business,” the experience of over 5800 applicants tells a different story marked by delays, uncertainty, financial burden, and administrative inertia.

For many, the issue has now moved beyond ease of doing business to a more fundamental question: whether the system, in its current form, is capable of delivering at all.

A senior Industries Department official, while wishing anonymity, said, “There is no denying that the demand for industrial land is huge; we are trying to expedite the process. A good number has been developed, and allotment is also in process in those estates which have been built. Estates are being developed year by year because they also require significant funds for completion.”