Jammu, Feb 5: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced that the government will allot five marlas (approximately 1.6 acres) of state land on a 40-year lease to landless families affected by natural disasters in 2025. The move aims to provide residential land to those rendered homeless by floods, landslides, cloudbursts, and earthquakes.
Replying to a question in the Assembly, CM Omar said the Council of Ministers approved the scheme, followed by a government order issued on January 2. The land will be leased without charging any premium, with beneficiaries required to pay a nominal annual ground rent of Rs 10 per marla. The lease can be extended further as per rules with approval from the competent authority.
The Chief Minister added that over 6,400 families in Udhampur district alone have received financial assistance totaling more than Rs 23.49 crore. Compensation was provided to affected households across Udhampur, Chenani, Ramnagar, and Latti-Marothi tehsils following damage assessments and verification under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms.
Specifically, 2,666 families in Udhampur tehsil received Rs 9.32 crore, 1,208 families in Chenani tehsil over Rs 5 crore, 2,298 families in Ramnagar tehsil Rs 7.86 crore, and 277 families in Latti-Marothi tehsil over Rs 1 crore. The government has also put measures in place to rehabilitate affected families by providing state land for residential purposes in line with approved norms.
This initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to ensure relief, rehabilitation, and housing for disaster-affected households across Jammu and Kashmir.