Jammu: PDP leader and MLA Waheed Para is all set to introduce a bill that will generate debate among stakeholders. The bill is aimed at providing legal cover to constructions built on state-owned land in Jammu and Kashmir.
The proposed “Jammu and Kashmir Regularisation and Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Public Land Bill, 2025 “seeks to grant ownership rights to long-term occupants of such land.”
The move has already sparked controversy, with some critics likening it to a revival of the scrapped Roshni Act, which was previously declared ‘unconstitutional’.
The bill proposes granting property rights to those who have lived on state, common, and Kahcharai or Shamlat land for over 20 years, citing urbanisation and socio-economic changes as justification.
While Para argues that the bill is a “one-time special measure” to provide legal recognition and security to thousands of families, opposition voices warn that it could legitimise land encroachments and trigger legal battles.
