SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that 133 commercial leaseholders in Jammu are occupying leased premises without renewal, while no such cases have been reported in Katra, Patnitop or Udhampur.
In a written reply to MLA Saiad Shaheen’s unstarred question in the Assembly, the Revenue Department said that one commercial lease in Jammu and another in Udhampur expired during the past two years. The Jammu lease, allotted in 1984 to Mistri Mukhtiar at Rahari for 40 years, expired on July 17, 2024, while the Udhampur lease granted to Saleem Raza Wani in 2009 expired on December 18, 2019.
The government said that no tenders have yet been invited for renewal of these leases in Jammu, Katra, Patnitop or Udhampur. It added that under the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Rules, 2022 (SO 658), all leases—except residential ones—granted under earlier land grant rules will not be renewed. Instead, such expired or determined leases will be put to open auction.
According to the reply, the Deputy Commissioner concerned is the designated authority to issue auction notices in accordance with the new policy. The government also said that certain expired lease cases have already been submitted to the empowered committee for approval before the auction process begins.
The department maintained that after the empowered committee’s approval, the remaining unrenewed leases will be taken up on priority for regularisation through fresh auctions as per the 2022 Land Grants Rules.
