Jammu and Kashmir administration has accorded sanction to the allotment of land on a lease basis to landless people, with only domiciles of the Union Territory eligible for the scheme.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha launched the land to landless scheme in July even as political parties in the valley questioned the administration's move and sought clarity regarding the beneficiaries.

In a set of guidelines issued by the Revenue Department, the UT administration accorded sanction to the allotment of five Marla of state land on a lease basis in favour of landless PMAY (G)/Awas plus beneficiaries.

The category of people, out of the Rural Development Department's permanent waiting list 2018-19, eligible for the scheme include those residing on state land, forest land, 'rakhs' and farms.

It also includes people in possession of custodian land, and those residing on land already allotted by the government near Dachigam Park for agricultural purposes, where construction is not permitted.

"Any other category of cases who are otherwise eligible for housing under PMAY-G but don't have any land available for construction,” the order said.

According to the order, an individual shall be considered landless if he is a domicile of Jammu and Kashmir has a separate family does not have land in his name or in the name of any of his family members or is not entitled to inherit five marla or more of land.

The land shall be granted on a lease basis in terms of the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Act of 1960 and the rules made thereunder.

The land in respect of these beneficiaries shall be granted on lease on payment of a token amount of Rs 100 per marla as a one-time premium and a nominal amount of Rs 1 per marla per annum as ground rent, in relaxation of Jammu and Kashmir Land Grant Rules, 2022, the order said.

The lease shall be for a period of 40 years, extendable further for a period of another 40 years, subject to the fulfilment of all formalities/norms.

However, if a person fails to build a house on the allotted land within a period of two years, such lease shall be cancelled forthwith, the order said.

The assistant commissioner (development) of the Rural Development Department of the district concerned shall verify the case and place an indent before the deputy commissioner along with the complete particulars of the beneficiaries.

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