SRINAGAR: More than 30.54 lakh kanals of state land are under encroachment across Jammu and Kashmir, with revenue authorities having expunged entries relating to 17.27 lakh kanals from official records, according to data shared by the government.
In Kashmir division, a total of 16,54,709.9 kanals of state land is reported to be under encroachment. Of this, entries pertaining to 3,27,199 kanals have been expunged from revenue records.
District-wise, Baramulla accounts for the highest encroached state land in Kashmir division at 3,53,756.65 kanals, followed by Pulwama with 2,04,129.4 kanals and Srinagar with 1,79,883.15 kanals. Budgam has 1,68,873.45 kanals under encroachment, Anantnag 1,58,082.65 kanals, Bandipora 1,53,271.35 kanals and Kupwara 1,46,319 kanals. Ganderbal, Kulgam and Shopian also report significant figures.
In terms of expunged entries in Kashmir division, Baramulla again leads with 81,327.65 kanals cleared in revenue records, followed by Kupwara with 52,698.1 kanals and Pulwama with 42,730.8 kanals.
In Jammu division, 14,00,051 kanals and 5 marlas of state land are under encroachment. Revenue records show that entries relating to 14,00,048 kanals and 65 marlas have been expunged.
Among districts in Jammu division, Rajouri reports 2,73,848 kanals and 12 marlas under encroachment, followed by Reasi with 2,26,857 kanals and 6 marlas and Ramban with 1,73,832 kanals. Jammu district has 1,45,487 kanals and 6 marlas under encroachment, Kathua 1,30,403 kanals and 1.5 marlas, and Udhampur 1,19,822 kanals and 8 marlas. Other affected districts include Poonch, Doda, Samba and Kishtwar.
The combined grand total for both divisions stands at 30,54,760 kanals and 5 marlas of state land under encroachment, with 17,27,247 kanals and 65 marlas for which entries have been expunged from revenue records.
The data reflects the scale of encroachment on state land across the Union Territory and the parallel administrative exercise to cleanse revenue records by removing unauthorised entries.
