JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced plans to develop nine satellite townships across the region to regulate unplanned urban expansion and meet the rising demand for housing.
The Housing and Urban Development Department confirmed the initiative in response to a query by MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para in the Legislative Assembly, stating that these townships will provide structured housing solutions and ensure sustainable urban growth. The government also confirmed that the list of beneficiaries will be finalised after the Detailed Project Reports are prepared.
As part of the plan, the Jammu & Kashmir Housing Board has identified several locations for these new townships. A mass housing colony will be developed at Padgampura in Pulwama on 30 kanals of land, while an integrated mass housing colony covering 200 kanals will come up at Watapora in Bandipora. Flatted accommodation for economically weaker sections will be constructed at Bhalwal in Jammu over an area of 85 kanals. In Kathua’s Changran area, 81.48 kanals have been earmarked for flatted and plotted accommodation as part of Phase II of the housing development plan. A major housing colony is planned at Chatterhama in Srinagar over 353.35 kanals, while another residential project will be developed at Bakoora in Ganderbal, covering 214 kanals. In Jammu, a housing colony will be set up at Chak Bhalwal on 248.65 kanals, another at Chowdhi covering 69 kanals, and a new township will be established at Kanuyian in Poonch on 16.80 kanals.
Beyond these housing board projects, the Srinagar Development Authority has identified 4,200 kanals of state land along the National Highway Bypass in Bemina at Rakhi Gund Aksha for a large-scale housing project. Similarly, the Jammu Development Authority has earmarked land at Sidhra in Jammu for a new residential development.
The initiative is expected to modernise urban infrastructure, improve housing availability, and create a more organised and sustainable urban landscape in Jammu and Kashmir. The government has emphasised that these townships will play a crucial role in providing affordable housing while curbing unregulated expansion in both cities and semi-urban areas.
