CM Omar Abdullah says proposal would ‘open floodgates for land grab’; Bill defeated by voice vote
Ziraat Times Team Report
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday rejected a private member’s bill moved by PDP MLA Waheed Para, which sought to grant ownership rights to residents who have constructed houses on government, Kacharia, common, or Shamilat land.
The Bill, titled “A Bill to provide special provisions for recognising proprietary rights of houses constructed on State land in J&K”, aimed to secure ownership or transfer rights to residents occupying such lands in the interest of the constitutional right to shelter under Article 21.
However, the government strongly opposed the proposal, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arguing that such a move would “open floodgates for land grab” and undermine the rule of law. “On the surface, it looks easy — if someone has built a house on government land, give it to them. But this would set a dangerous precedent,” Abdullah said during the debate.
The Chief Minister recalled that a similar attempt was made earlier through the Roshni Scheme, which aimed to convert leasehold properties into freehold ones, with the revenue to be used for power generation. “That scheme was later diluted and became controversial. It even went to court, and we couldn’t defend it. This new bill goes beyond Roshni — it has no timeline or limit. We cannot do this,” he added.
Abdullah pointed out that there are already provisions under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for granting land to the landless and houses to the houseless. “We can’t justify legalising illegal occupation,” he said, urging Para to withdraw the bill.
Defending his proposal, Waheed Para said that while the government is giving land to the landless, it must also protect those who are already living on state land. “Will you render homeless those already residing there? This isn’t a problem of one area — it’s an issue across Jammu and Kashmir. The government must live up to Sheikh Abdullah’s legacy of social justice,” he said.
The Chief Minister countered the argument, saying, “Land to tiller gave rights to those who worked the land, not to land grabbers. There is a huge difference between the two.” He further remarked that even if his relatives were to benefit, “I would not bring such a bill — we cannot legalise illegality.”
After Para refused to withdraw his proposal, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather put the bill to a vote. The motion secured support from only three members and was subsequently defeated by a voice vote.
