Mehbooba Mufti Urges NC-led Government to Safeguard Land Rights of J&K Residents Until Restoration of Statehood
Srinagar, Oct 10: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged the National Conference (NC)-led Government to take concrete legislative measures to safeguard the land rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir until the Statehood is fully restored. She cautioned against symbolic gestures and stressed the need for a government-backed bill rather than a mere private member’s proposal.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Mufti said that the PDP has already taken an initiative by introducing a bill aimed at securing land ownership safeguards for the people of the Union Territory. “If the government does not approve our approach, they must come up with their own bill, not for optics or political display, but as a genuine effort to protect the rights of the people. They should bring proper legislation on their own. At least till Statehood is restored, the Government must ensure that the land of Jammu and Kashmir remains in the hands of its people,” she stated.
Reacting to recent remarks made by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, Mufti emphasized that lawmakers must legislate with a sense of responsibility rather than rhetoric. “He is an MLA and his duty is to make laws, not just statements. Thankfully, J&K does not have a ‘Bulldozer Baba’ as Chief Minister who targets properties belonging to a particular community,” she said, referring to the growing fears of selective actions witnessed in other states.
Mufti lamented that since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have lived under an increasing sense of insecurity about their land, employment, and natural resources. “Under the new laws, anyone from outside J&K can acquire land, while the locals have been pushed to the margins. Thousands of kanals have been allotted to outsiders under the pretext of industrial development, while only 50 percent of land allocations have gone to the people of J&K. But where are the industries that were promised? How many jobs have been created? There’s hardly any industrial growth visible in Kashmir, Jammu may have a better answer to this,” she remarked.
Highlighting the unequal distribution of resources, Mufti said that even the security forces are being allotted land under the label of “strategic areas,” bypassing established formalities and procedures. “This isn’t just happening in Kashmir; the same is occurring in Jammu and even more extensively in Ladakh,” she asserted.
The PDP leader reiterated that her party’s bill seeks to introduce clear legal safeguards to prevent the alienation of local land and ensure that the demographic character and rights of the residents remain protected. “Our effort may be small, but it is sincere. The Government should build upon it and act in the interest of the people,” she added.
Expressing optimism about the pending demand for the restoration of Statehood, Mehbooba Mufti said she hopes the Chief Justice of India will deliver justice on the matter during his tenure. “The return of Statehood will be the first real step toward restoring the dignity, rights, and confidence of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she concluded.
