1.66 Lakh Kanals of Custodian Land Illegally Occupied in J&K

Jammu,26-03-2025:  Official records reveal that a staggering 1.66 lakh kanals of such land remain under illegal occupation across the Union Territory. This issue came to light following a written response by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to a query raised by National Conference MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah, highlighting the scale of land encroachment and the administration’s efforts to reclaim it.

According to the data presented, the majority of the encroached land 1,62,340 kanals—is situated in Jammu, while 3,983 kanals are illegally occupied in Kashmir. Despite the ongoing efforts of the authorities, only a small fraction has been successfully retrieved so far. The Chief Minister disclosed that merely 4,501 kanals have been reclaimed, with 2,060 kanals recovered in Kashmir and 2,441 kanals in Jammu. These figures underscore the challenges faced in reclaiming state-owned custodian land, which is meant to be protected for rightful beneficiaries and legal purposes.

Jammu and Kashmir collectively possess 14,49,406 kanals of custodian land, with an overwhelming majority—13,93,446 kanals—located in Jammu, and the remaining 55,960 kanals in Kashmir.