Srinagar, Sept 16: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has issued eviction notices to several occupants of Nazool land in Srinagar, including the iconic Mohi-ud-Din Trust building in Polo View, with occupants in Raj Bagh, Karan Nagar and Lal Chowk also asked to vacate properties by September 21.
In the case of the Mohi-ud-Din Trust building on Residency Road, the Tehsildar Srinagar, acting as Estates Officer under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988, ordered the Trust to vacate the premises and hand over peaceful possession to the Estates Officer by September 21, 2026.
The order concerns land in Kothibagh covered by Khasra Nos. 174 and 174/1 and follows an earlier notice seeking documents establishing the Trust’s authorisation to continue occupying the premises.
The Trust submitted its original lease along with representations and correspondence seeking renewal. However, the authorities said the material produced did not establish a subsisting lease or an order from the competent authority renewing or extending it.
“The material produced does not establish the existence of any subsisting lease or an order of renewal/extension from the competent authority,” the eviction notice stated.
The administration has warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period could lead to further proceedings under Section 5(2) of the Act for eviction and taking over possession of the public premises.
Similar eviction notices have been issued in Raj Bagh, Karan Nagar and Lal Chowk, including against occupants facing allegations of rent defaults and deviations from the terms and conditions of their original leases.
In one notice concerning Karan Nagar, the Estates Department said the occupant had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for default in payment of rent and deviations from the stipulated terms and purpose of the original lease.
The notice further said the occupant’s response relied on an earlier expired lease and the erstwhile Roshni Act but did not establish a basis for the continued occupation of the property.
Most of the notices have set September 21 as the date for eviction proceedings.
The move has drawn concern from some leaseholders, who have said that their families have occupied properties under long-standing lease arrangements and that eviction could affect homes and livelihoods.
“We have been the lease holders of a property since the 1930s. We have been following the extension of lease regularly with the government in the past. However, it remains pending. We find these eviction notices surprising,” a Raj Bagh leaseholder was quoted as saying.
“There are hundreds of families living in houses on Nazool land. Any such drive will make people homeless and hit their livelihoods,” the leaseholder said.
Nazool land generally refers to government-owned land that has been allotted or leased for specified purposes and periods. The latest proceedings centre on the validity of leases, renewal orders, rent payments and compliance with lease conditions.
According to figures cited in recent reports, 58,034 kanals of land across J&K is categorised as Nazool land, including 50,343 kanals in Jammu division and 7,690 kanals in Kashmir division. Around 5,618 kanals have been leased for commercial activities in prominent markets in Jammu and Srinagar.
The latest action comes as the administration reviews occupation and utilisation of Nazool properties in prime commercial areas of Srinagar.
As a Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir has a division of administrative responsibilities between the elected government and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration. Certain areas, including land and public order, fall within the Lieutenant Governor’s jurisdiction, while the elected government oversees matters assigned to it under the existing administrative framework.
