SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has initiated the process of allotting five marlas of land to landless families for the construction of residential houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). The allotment is subject to verification by the Revenue Department.
In response to a question raised by MLA M Y Tarigami in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj stated in a written reply that district-wise details of identified landless families have been compiled. Minister for Rural Development Department, Javed Ahmad Dar, informed that 498 beneficiaries have been allotted five marlas of land each under the Awaas Plus category of PMAY-G, while 442 cases remain under consideration by the Revenue authorities.
The Minister further stated that eight additional beneficiaries have been granted land for house construction under the scheme. Families without land are being provided land under PMAY-G, subject to verification and eligibility criteria issued from time to time. He also mentioned that extended families from landless backgrounds could be considered for allotment based on eligibility and the evolving guidelines of the scheme.
Regarding land compensation, the Minister clarified that the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, is being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. Under this Act, land providers in urban areas receive compensation at double the market rate, whereas those in rural areas receive compensation at four times the market rate.
Legislators G. A. Mir, Shakti Raj Parihar, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Rajiv Jasrotia, Chowdhary Mohammad Akram, and Mehraj Malik raised supplementary questions on the issue.
According to official data available with the news agency JKNS, 3,673 landless families have been identified under the PMAY-G (Awaas Plus) category. Of these, 498 families have been allotted land, 2,727 applications have been rejected, and 442 cases remain under review.
Among the districts, Rajouri has the highest number of identified landless families at 1,289, with 48 families allotted land, 1,162 applications rejected, and 79 cases under review. In Jammu, 171 landless families were identified, with 38 receiving land and 133 applications rejected. Anantnag recorded 319 identified families, of whom 28 were allotted land, 272 applications were rejected, and 13 cases remain under review. Bandipora had 134 landless families, with 114 allotted land, while the remaining 20 cases are still under consideration.
In Baramulla, out of 111 identified landless families, 55 were allotted land, 30 applications were rejected, and 26 remain under review. Ganderbal had 264 landless families identified, but only nine received land, with 252 applications rejected and three cases under review. Kathua recorded 165 identified families, with 23 receiving land, 111 applications rejected, and 31 cases still pending. Kishtwar had 252 identified landless families, with 55 allotted land, 146 applications rejected, and 51 under review.
In Kulgam, 37 families were identified, with eight receiving land and 29 applications rejected. Kupwara recorded 46 identified families, of whom four received land, while 39 applications were rejected and three remain under consideration. Poonch had six landless families, all of whom were allotted land. Pulwama recorded 24 landless families, 11 of whom received land, while 13 applications were rejected.
Ramban had 181 identified landless families, but none were allotted land, with 162 applications rejected and 19 cases pending. Reasi recorded 159 identified families, with seven allotted land, 144 applications rejected, and eight cases pending. In Samba, 40 families were identified, with 21 receiving land and 19 applications rejected.
Srinagar had the lowest number of landless families at 11, with only three receiving land and eight applications rejected. Udhampur recorded 220 identified landless families, of whom 11 received land, 138 applications were rejected, and 71 cases remain under review. In Doda, 244 landless families were identified, with 57 receiving land, 69 applications rejected, and 118 still under consideration.
As per official data, no landless families were identified in Budgam and Shopian. The government has reiterated its commitment to providing land under PMAY-G to eligible landless families, ensuring that the process remains transparent and subject to verification by the Revenue Department. Additionally, compensation for land acquisition follows the provisions outlined in the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
