SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has disclosed that over 3,594 kanals of land were acquired at a cost of Rs 21.64 crore for the establishment of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, impacting 274 landowners, while clarifying that the university has no direct role in compensation or mandatory employment to affected families.
The details were provided in response to Starred Assembly Question tabled by MLA Narinder Singh Raina.
According to the official reply, the land for SKUAST-Jammu at Chatha was acquired in 2001 across multiple villages, including Rakh Chatha, Gurjran and Shahzadpur, with a total measured area of 3,594 kanals and 9 marlas.
The government stated that the total compensation of Rs 21.64 crore was distributed across categories, including Rs 10.37 crore for private land, Rs 3.99 crore for state land, and Rs 7.28 crore for custodian land. The acquisition process, including identification of beneficiaries and disbursement of compensation, was carried out by the Revenue Department through the Collector Land Acquisition.
Out of the total acquired land, 739 kanals and 13 marlas were custodian land, while the remaining comprised private and state land holdings.
The government further revealed that, at present, SKUAST-Jammu is in possession of only 291 kanals and 5 marlas, significantly lower than the total land originally acquired for the campus.
Responding to concerns that several families lost their land and livelihoods due to the acquisition, the government acknowledged the impact but clarified that the university itself had no direct involvement in land acquisition or compensation processes, which were handled entirely by the Revenue Department.
On the issue of employment, the government said that while some local individuals may have been engaged by the university through outsourcing or need-based arrangements, there is no formal policy linking land acquisition to employment or regularisation.
This comes amid claims that affected families were engaged as casual or temporary workers at SKUAST-Jammu but have not been regularised, in contrast to SKUAST-Kashmir, where 149 such workers were reportedly regularised earlier this year.
“The university engages manpower through outsourcing mechanisms as per requirement. There is no provision for direct employment or regularisation linked to land acquisition,” the reply indicated.
The government did not outline any specific rehabilitation or livelihood policy exclusively for the displaced families but reiterated that compensation had been disbursed as per legal provisions at the time of acquisition.
SKUAST-Jammu, established in 1999, is a premier agricultural institution in the region, and the disclosure is likely to revive debate over land acquisition practices, compensation adequacy, and long-term livelihood support for affected families.
