Any Indian citizen can now buy land in Jammu and Kashmir

The Centre has notified on Tuesday that Indian citizen as well as investors outside Jammu and Kashmir can now purchase land in the Union Territory. The MHA notified the UT of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order 2020. This new land laws for the region ends the exclusive rights of locals over the land granted under now abrogated Article 370.

In this the Centre has repealed or substituted 26 state laws. The notification omitted the phrase, permanent resident of the state from Section 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act that deals with disposal of land in the UT.

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Any Indian citizen can now buy land in Jammu and Kashmir

Cost of Land in Jammu

If you are looking to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir then here’s the cost of land in Jammu and Kashmir: Srinagar’s property prices are still between Rs 2,200 and Rs 4,000 per sq ft – much lower for Tier 2 and 3 cities of the country. Prices for an independent house of 6 marlas (1,634 sq ft), near Mubarak Mandi Palace, in the Pasi Dhaki area of â€‹â€‹Jammu, are as high as Rs 40 lakh.Â

Prior to Article 370 being repealed in August last year, non-residents could not buy immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir. These changes now have paved the way for non-residents to buy land in the UT.

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha told reporters that the amendments did not allow transfer of agriculture land to non-agriculturists.

“I want to say this forcefully and with full responsibility that agricultural land has been kept reserved for farmers; no outsider will come on those lands. The industrial areas that we have defined, we want that like rest of the country, here too industries come so that Jammu and Kashmir also develops and employment is generated,” he also said.

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 96 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019), and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, the Central Government hereby makes the following Order in respect of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, namely–This Order may be called the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020, the MHA order read.

“Where this Order requires that in any specified section or other portion of an Act, certain words shall be substituted for certain other words, or certain words shall be omitted, such substitution or omission, as the case may be, shall, except where it is otherwise expressly provided, be made wherever the words referred to occur in that section or portion,” the MHA said.

“The provisions of this Order which adapt or modify any law so as to alter the manner in which, the authority by which or the law under or in accordance with which, any powers are exercisable, shall not render invalid any notification, order, commitment, attachment, bye-law, rule or regulation duly made or issued, or anything duly done before the 31st day of October 2019; and any such notification, order commitment, attachment, bye-law, rule, regulation or anything may be revoked, varied or undone in the like manner, to the like extent and in the like circumstances as if it had been made, issued or done after the commencement of this Order by the competent authority and in accordance with the provisions then applicable to such case,” the order issued by the MHA also said.

Any Indian citizen can now buy land in Jammu and Kashmir

37-year-old Akram, a resident of Nishant area in Srinagar said, “If you ask me about how people are feeling, I would say they expected it. The conflict in Kashmir has created a political aware society and it is not hard for the people to see through the designs of the Modi government. The new land laws have a larger purpose of triggering a demographic change in the region.

He added, “In my opinion Jammu will bear the brunt. I mean I am not sure how many people will come to buy land in Kashmir where dissent is an everyday ritual. The problem however for Kashmir is the most land holding is with the UT administration and there is no guess about how that land can be possible allocated. The problem also is permission of allowing transfer of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes as Kashmir is an ecologically fragile zone.”