18 Years On, Revenue Department Yet to Transfer 7,674 Kanals of Government Land to SDA
Sonamarg, July 5, KNT: Eighteen years after the Jammu and Kashmir Government approved the transfer of 7,674 kanals and 17 marlas of government land to the Sonamarg Development Authority (SDA), the Revenue Department has yet to hand over the land, raising serious questions over the unexplained delay in implementing a Cabinet decision aimed at promoting tourism and planned development in the picturesque hill resort.
The Sonamarg Development Authority was established in 2004 to oversee planned development and regulate tourism-related infrastructure in the area. In 2007, the government sought a comprehensive report from the Revenue Department regarding the availability of government land in Sonamarg. The department subsequently submitted a detailed report, complete with Khasra numbers, identifying 7,674 kanals and 17 marlas of state land available for transfer to the Authority.
Based on the report, the Cabinet approved the proposal and the Revenue Department issued Order No. Rev(S)256/2007, directing that the identified land be transferred to the Sonamarg Development Authority to facilitate tourism infrastructure, environmentally sustainable development and economic growth in the region.
However, despite the passage of nearly two decades, no formal demarcation has been completed and the Authority has not been given legal possession of the land.
Sources within the Sonamarg Development Authority told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that although certain public assets, including buildings and parking facilities, have been developed over the years on portions of the land, the Revenue Department has never formally transferred the land in the Authority’s name.
According to reliable sources, the issue was revisited last year after Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal directed the Revenue authorities to expedite the process. Acting on the directions, the Additional Commissioner Revenue (ACR), Ganderbal, constituted a six-member committee under the supervision of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Kangan, with the Tehsildar of Gund leading the exercise to identify and hand over the government land to the Authority.
Sources said the committee identified nearly 3,300 kanals of government land at Lashpathri, Sonamarg. However, even that land has not been formally transferred to the Sonamarg Development Authority. They added that no further exercise was undertaken to identify the remaining land, and the process has since remained stalled.
The prolonged delay has sparked concern among local residents and public representatives, who have questioned why the Revenue Department has failed to implement its own order despite having identified the land nearly 18 years ago.
Stakeholders questioned what became of the 7,674 kanals and 17 marlas of government land identified in the 2007 report. They asked whether the Revenue Department had furnished incorrect information to the government at the time or whether portions of the land had subsequently been diverted or alienated through irregular means.
Stakeholders have demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter, urging the government to constitute an independent committee to ascertain the status of the land identified in 2007, fix responsibility for the delay and ensure that the government land is transferred to the Sonamarg Development Authority without any further delay.
They said the transfer of the land is crucial for the planned expansion of tourism infrastructure, environmental conservation and the long-term economic development of Sonamarg, one of Kashmir’s premier tourist destinations. [KNT]
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