Azad announces major land reform in J

Jammu, Dec 28 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today announced a major renewal amendment of Roshni scheme, introduced by National Conference government regime in 2001th this hilly state but not succeeded.

While addressing a press conference here the Chief Minister said it would be another revolutionary and historic step in the history of the state after land to tillers Act of 1950.

Chief Minster said the farmer who possess the government land can get the ownership right by paying 10 per cent of market cost of the land similarly in urban areas land grabber may legalise their work by paying only 40 per cent of land cost.

Mr Azad while highlighting the major features of proposed law said the highest beneficiaries would be the farming community and those living on grabbed land in the state.

''The ceiling of 10 kanals of ownership rights in the occupants shall not be applicable in respect of agricultural land. Such land shall however, be subject to over all ceiling of 121/2 standard acres prescribed under Agrarian Reforms Act,'' Mr Azad said Chief Minister said under the amendments sought, the upper limit for the occupants of government land by the farmers for agriculture purposes will be up 100 kanals including is propriety land. Similarly, for granting ownership rights on agriculture land only 10 per cent of the cost of land would be realised, he added.

He said state land on which tenancy rights were granted to the cultivators in 1958 and proprietary rights were to be conferred in 1966 irrespective of the fact whether mutations in favour of the occupants were attested or not.

''The state land allotted for cultivation to the landless agricultural labourers and petty land holders in 1958 and state land which cheated to the government by virtue of Big Landed Estates Abolition Act, 1950 and Agrarian Reforms Act 1976 and is in possession of various persons,'' he said.

The state land which was allotted to displaced people in 1947, 1965 and 1971 and land under unauthorised residential colonies regularised by the Housing and Urban Development Department upto 2005, shall not fall under the ambit of the Roshni scheme, the CM said.

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