Land and its ownership have been at the centre of a debate in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status granted to the erstwhile State under Article 370 of the Constitution. The special status contained protective provisions for land, housing, and jobs for State Subjects (locals).
Over the last few weeks, the debate has become more intense with the Lieutenant Governor’s administration introducing a slew of schemes for homeless and landless people, and migrant workers. Regional parties have expressed concern that these schemes will open doors for outsiders to settle in J&K.
A week ago, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced a scheme to grant five marlas (252 square feet) of land to the landless population under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). Around 2,711 households have been designated as “landless” in the first phase. Besides this, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has set a target to grant 1.99 lakh houses to the homeless population in J&K by 2024.
