The decision of the government to allot five marlas (126 sq metres) of land to each of the landless in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered a controversy with Opposition parties calling it a move to alter the demography of the Union territory (UT).

The administrative council headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had earlier this week announced the scheme of land to the landless.

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Former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have cast doubts on the move. Peoples’ Conference chief Sajad Lone, who was a BJP nominee in the PDP-BJP Ministry, has also raised questions on the scheme.

Omar Abdullah asked LG Manoj Sinha to first make it clear who are the homeless and how they are being categorised. Are those being counted homeless came here just a week ago?  The government should also not include those in this category who came here after abrogation of Article370 in August 2019. Only those should be included in the list of beneficiaries who settled here before 2019, he added.

Lone tweeted; “Now that questions are being raised. It will be prudent for the state administration to make it clear whether providing land to the landless and homeless, comprises only the erstwhile domicile holders pre 5 August 2019. Per se if lists have been framed prior to 2019, as asserted by the rural development department, the list will not comprise any newcomers. Clarification is a must”.

Mehbooba Mufti, who was earlier chief minister with the support of BJP, alleged that the BJP government was planning to settle 10 lakh migrants in J&K as its vote bank.

The PDP chief said that J&K is a green belt but the government is pushing policies to “convert it into a slum”. “Instead of striving to improve the lives of citizens of J&K and getting investment, the government is importing poverty and slums into Jammu and Kashmir. We will not allow this to happen,” she told media-persons in Srinagar.

The UT administration has described the opposition’s claim as “factually incorrect”.

BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Thursday came down heavily on  Mehbooba Mufti over her remarks on the move of land allotment to the homeless in J&K which, he said, were signs of panic and frustration.

Chugh said the J&K administration has decided to provide relief to homeless people by giving them 5 marla land each but Mehbooba Mufti was playing her “cheap politics” on it. Instead of appreciating the initiative of the J&K administration she is spreading fear and uncertainty among the poor and homeless people of the Union territory.

He alleged “Muftis and Abdullahs have never worked for the poor in J&K and have always taken directions from the Pakistan ISI to keep J&K under-developed and poverty-stricken”.

Chugh praised the efforts of PM Narendra Modi for rolling out people-friendly schemes that have brought reformation in the country.

Reacting to the allegations of Mehbooba Mufti, the UT administration issued a statement saying that the PMAY (Grameen) phase -1 started on 1 April 2016 by Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, under the overall commitment of Prime Minister for “Housing for all by 2022” in which 2,57,349 houseless cases were identified in J&K in SECC data 2011 and after due verification by Gram sabhas, 136152 cases were sanctioned for J&K,

Per unit assistance of 1.30 lakhs is provided per house by Govt of India under the scheme. The minimum size of the house prescribed is 1 marla.

The government conducted Awaas+ survey during January, 2018 to March, 2019 to identify those beneficiaries which claimed to have been left out under the 2011 SECC. The data of beneficiaries captured through Awaas+ was utilized to fill the gaps between overall target and eligible beneficiaries made available from SECC Permanent Wait List (PWL)

PMAY PHASE-II(AWAS Plus) Grameen started from 2019 onwards based on survey of 2018-19, (done pan India), in which 2.65 Lakhs houseless cases were recorded in J&K and only target of 63426 houses was given to J&K. These houses have been sanctioned in 2022 only.

This phase of the scheme is getting over on 31.3.24

Based on good performance of J&K in sanction and completion of houses, on 30th May2023, 199550 more PMAY AWAS PLUS houses have been sanctioned as a special dispensation, in order to ensure housing for all for all 2.65 lakh houseless persons, who were part of PWL2019.

Survey is based on clear guidelines on the basis of the prescribed criteria.

Based on the field level survey, 2711 cases were identified who don’t have a clear title of land. As the government cannot sanction the house to someone who doesn’t have land, therefore in order to ensure housing for all, the government has taken a policy decision to allot 5 marlas of land to these 2711 cases so that they can get houses.

Therefore the statement of Mehbooba Mufti that government is allotting land to 2 lakh odd persons is factually incorrect and all statements made by her are without having any understanding of the PMAY scheme, the official statement added.