SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) informed the Lok Sabha that Rs 181.54 crore of the total Rs 234.25 crore sanctioned for land acquisition in Budgam has been deposited for landowners’ compensation. The acquisition was approved in 2011.
The information was revealed in response to a query raised by Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi regarding compensation for land acquired in 2011-2012 at Karewa Damodar, near Srinagar Airport, impacting approximately 600 families.
The Ministry stated that the acquisition was approved on 4 March 2011, with Rs181.54 crore deposited by the Defence Estates Office Srinagar to the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam for disbursement to affected landowners.
“However, discrepancies were identified in the area of land mentioned in the Form Notification issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Government under the J&K Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (RAIP) Act, 1968. The land measured on the ground was found to be less than what was stated in the notification,” the Ministry said.
The Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE) has requested the J&K Government to amend the notification. The compensation award process will resume once the necessary amendments are made, the MoD added.
The Ministry further clarified that reassessment of compensation under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, is not applicable, as the land acquisition was conducted under the J&K RAIP Act, 1968. (KNO)
