SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly rejected a Private Member’s Bill moved by PDP MLA Waheed Para seeking ownership rights for residents living in houses constructed on State, Kacharai, Common and Shamilat land.
The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill to Provide Special Provisions for the Residents of the Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir” (Private Members’ Bill No. 7 of 2025), aimed to recognise proprietary rights of residential houses built on such lands, invoking the right to shelter under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
Introducing the bill, Para said it sought to secure ownership or transfer rights for those who had lived on the said lands for decades, arguing that the measure was rooted in the principle of human dignity and social justice. “This is not about rewarding encroachment but about protecting families who have known no other home,” he said, invoking Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s historic ‘Land to the Tiller’ reforms.
The Chief Minister, however, rejected the proposal outright, stating that granting ownership of illegally occupied government land was “neither practical nor lawful.” Drawing parallels with the scrapped Roshni Act, the CM said, “It might look easy to give people land on which their houses stand, but such decisions must respect legality. The Roshni Act, introduced to convert leasehold rights into freehold rights, was later struck down because it could not be defended in court.”
The CM further emphasised that the government already runs schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to provide land and housing to the landless, asserting, “It is not possible for the government to legitimise illegal occupations.”
In response, Para accused the government of “succumbing to political fear” and ignoring the plight of ordinary citizens. “We cannot reject a bill because we fear the BJP. This bill is about shelter and justice for those who have lived on this land for generations. Even your relatives faced bulldozers last year — the same happens to the poor,” he said amid uproar.
The Chief Minister countered sharply, saying the PDP was “invoking the legacy of the National Conference that it never owned.” “Land to the Tiller was about giving land to landless farmers, not legitimising illegal encroachments,” he remarked, denying allegations that his relatives had occupied government land.
The Speaker called for a voice vote on whether the bill should be discussed further. Only two members supported the motion. Later, the bill was rejected and dropped from the agenda.
