Just 13 months after the J&K Government had framed laws to protect the Union Territory’s agriculture land, the Lieutenant Governor’s administration, in a flip-flop on Thursday, paved the path for its conversion for non-agricultural purposes.
A spokesman said the J&K Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, in a significant decision, approved the regulations framed by the Board of Revenue for the conversion.
“The regulations are necessitated after the legislative changes in the Land Revenue Act post-reorganisation of the erstwhile State. They have been issued to regulate the uncontrolled conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes on the one hand and keep the developmental aspirations of the UT and the people on the other hand,” the spokesman said.
The Collectors have been empowered to grant permission to the change in land use. “The powers have been delegated to the District Collectors to grant permission for land up to 12 ½ standard acres against a fee of 5% of the market value of the land notified under the Stamps Act,” the Government said.
It will empower the applicant to commence the non-agriculture use within one year from the date of the order.
The move comes two weeks after the administration had set rules “to facilitate the setting up of business enterprises on private land” to attract ₹51,000 crore investment.
In November 2020, the administration introduced land laws, first time since reading down of Article 370 in 2019, and claimed it “will afford protection to over 90% of the land in the Union Territory”.
“A number of protections have been built into the new land laws on similar lines enacted in States such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. No agricultural land can be transferred to any person from outside the UT of J&K,” then J&K spokesman and Principal Secretary, Information, Rohit Kansal, said.
He said the laws will not only afford protection to over 90% of the land in J&K from being alienated to outsiders but will also help revamp the agriculture sector, foster rapid industrialisation, aid economic growth and create jobs.
