This bill will secure ownership rights, prevent arbitrary evictions, and ensure social and economic stability across Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) said her party has introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Land Rights and Regularisation Bill as a private member bill before the J&K Assembly to safeguards the land rights of locals and stop the ongoing process of eviction of hoteliers from Gulmarg hill station.“The proposed legislation aims to regularise land holdings of individuals, families, and institutions who have been in continuous possession of land for over 30 years, thereby securing ownership rights, preventing arbitrary evictions, and ensuring social and economic stability across Jammu and Kashmir,” Ms. Mufti said.“PDP MLAs have already submitted the Bill for inclusion in the upcoming Assembly session, reaffirming the Party’s commitment to protecting people’s land rights and ensuring legal security for all long-standing occupants,” Ms. Mufti said.She said the J&K Land Grants Rules 2022 introduced by the Lieutenant Governor in 2022 resulted in “bulldozing and eviction process in J&K, which saw poor people being dislodged from the land they have been living in for years”.She said the J&K Land Rights and Regularisation Bill, 2025 is an “anti-bulldozer bill”. “The Land Grant Rules, 2022 have ended the renewal of old leases, putting dozens of hotels operating on expired leases at risk of eviction or government takeover through auction,” Ms. Mufti said.She said there is growing anxiety over outsider corporates taking over Gulmarg. “Nearly 60 hotels in Gulmarg, including heritage establishments such as Nedous and Highlands Park, have received takeover notices from the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA). Hoteliers who have invested heavily now face severe financial distress, legal uncertainty, and threats to livelihoods. Most locals cannot compete with big corporates like the Adanis and the Ambanis in case properties are auctioned,” Ms. Mufti said. Attacking the Omar Abdullah government for lacking a policy on Gulmarg, Ms. Mufti said, “The absence of a clear government policy on lease renewal and land regularisation has created deep uncertainty, hurting tourism, local employment, and investor confidence in Kashmir’s hospitality sector.”She said Mr. Abdullah has failed to come up with a concrete policy or legal stand to safeguard the rights of hoteliers before the J&K High Court. “The government should either adopt and implement these bills or bring in their own legislation which will be duly supported by the PDP,” she added. Published - October 08, 2025 06:06 pm IST
