Kashmir Farmers’ Group Expresses Concern Over “Flaws in Land Records Digitisation”

Calls for fresh land settlement, protection of agricultural land and strict land-use policy

Srinagar, September 23: The Kashmir Farmers Federation (KFF) has expressed deep concern over alleged flaws and irregularities in the ongoing digitisation of land records in Jammu & Kashmir, urging the government to ensure the full protection of farmers’ and landowners’ rights and interests throughout the process.

Addressing a press conference here, KFF Chairman Advocate Abdul Rashid Hanjoora said that digitising land records was an important reform initiative, but it must be carried out on the basis of accurate and authentic records, thorough ground-level verification and effective participation of farmers and landowners.

Advocate Hanjoora said the government must address the fundamental concerns of the farming community on a priority basis. These include the protection of agricultural land, strict enforcement of land-use policies and effective restrictions on the conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, particularly commercial activities and the establishment of institutions.

He alleged that in some areas, the digitisation process was being carried out without adequate ground verification and the required participation of farmers and landowners, resulting in discrepancies between traditional Revenue Department records and new digital entries.

According to him, such discrepancies in land ownership, inheritance, land area and other revenue details could lead to ownership disputes, complications in inheritance matters, legal cases and difficulties for farmers in accessing bank loans and other government services in the future.

The Kashmir Farmers Federation also drew attention to cases where the names of certain landowners were allegedly missing from digital records, entries contained errors or land measurements did not correspond with existing Revenue Department records.

The federation maintained that the digitisation of land records should only be completed after a comprehensive and transparent process involving proper land settlement and ground verification, so that farmers and landowners do not face legal or administrative difficulties in the future.

The KFF called on the government to undertake appropriate corrective measures and ground verification before proceeding with further digitisation in areas where discrepancies or errors exist. It also demanded the establishment of an effective, accessible and user-friendly grievance redressal mechanism to address complaints from farmers and the general public.

The federation further stressed the need to provide the public with easy access to their land records, ensure adequate training for Revenue Department officials and establish accountability among officers and staff for the accuracy of records.

Advocate Hanjoora said the federation had submitted a detailed representation to the government, particularly the Revenue Department, seeking immediate measures to protect farmers’ land rights and prevent disputes in the future.

He said strict implementation of a clear and effective land-use policy was essential to stop the unnecessary conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses. He added that farmers’ interests must be given central importance in land-related policymaking.

Reiterating the federation’s commitment to protecting the legitimate interests and land rights of farmers, Advocate Abdul Rashid Hanjoora urged the government to make the entire digitisation process transparent, accurate, participatory and legally secure.

KFF Organiser Dr Ghulam Mohammad Rather and Media In-charge Sarwar Maqbool were also present on the occasion.