Those who chose to settle in Pak have 14 lakh kanal land in their names in JK

TNN Bureau. Updated: 1/19/2017 12:16:17 AM Front Page

DEEPAK KHAJURIA

JAMMU: Seventy years after division of Jammu and Kashmir, those who migrated to Pakistan of Pakistan occupied Kashmir still over 14 lakh kanals of land around 6500 structures, including houses, in their names, mainly in Jammu region.
The official figures of Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Department reveal that total 4115 houses, 403 flats, 469 kholas, 1522 shops, godowns and garages, 125 orchards, two convention centers, two cow sheds and 14,70,840 kanals of land in 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir is termed as evacuees property and still belongs to the persons having become evacuees on account of setting up of dominions of India and Pakistan at the time of partition.
Replaying to the question of BJP MLA Rajesh Gupta regarding the measures taken by the government to protect the rights of the allottees staying at such places for more than five decades, the Minister for Revenue, Basharat Bukhari said that the same property cannot be disposed off unilaterally as their rights and interests are protected by the J&K Evacuees (Administration of Property) Act and the rules.
It is also worth mentioning here that most of the property which belongs to the persons shifted to Pakistan or other countries after partition is in the jurisdiction of Jammu Region and particularly in Jammu district.
From total 4114 houses, 3798 are in Jammu region, while 2072 is in Jammu district and mostly in the Jammu East constituency headed by BJP's Rajesh Gupta as MLA. Meanwhile, out of total 14,70,840 kanals of land 14,12,006 kanals is in Jammu region and most of the share 5,52,006 is in Jammu district.
Similarly, all 403 flats of Custodian are in Jammu district, whereas all 469 kholas (small houses) too in Jammu region only and mostly 337 in Jammu district, which has proved that most of the people who were shifted towards Pakistan during partition were maximum from Jammu district and later their properties were allotted to the people shifted to this side of the border or the local residing here.
"Till then all these properties were occupied by the allottees staying at such places for more than five decades," MLA Rajesh Gupta said and sought reasons for not disposing of the evacuees property especially the houses as the evacuees have attained the citizenship of Pakistan and other countries.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister said that this property cannot be disposed off unilaterally as the rights of the persons shifted from here and real owners of this property are protected by the J&K Evacuees Act.


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