The Jammu and Kashmir administration has initiated action against occupants of Nazool land in Srinagar, issuing eviction notices to several entities, including the prominent Mohi-ud-Din Trust located in the Polo View market.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Nazool land refers to property owned by the government but not directly managed as state property. Instead, it is leased out for fixed durations.
An eviction notice, issued by the Tehsildar of Srinagar and serving as the Estates Officer under the J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988, stated that the Mohi-ud-Din Trust has failed to establish the existence of any subsisting lease or a renewal order from the competent authority. Consequently, the Trust has been ordered to vacate the premises and hand over peaceful possession to the Estates Officer by September 21, 2026.
The Estates Department, as reported, had previously issued a notice on August 8, 2026, requesting the Trust to present documentary evidence of their authorization to occupy the public premises. While the Trust submitted its original lease, along with various representations and correspondence seeking renewal, the department maintained that a valid subsisting lease could not be established.
Failure to comply with the eviction order within the stipulated timeframe will result in further action for eviction and taking possession of the public premises under Section 5(2) of the Act, according to the notice.
Eviction notices have also been served in other Srinagar localities, including Karan Nagar, Rajbagh, and Lal Chowk, targeting individuals and entities who have reportedly defaulted on rent payments or deviated from the terms of their original leases. In one instance concerning Karan Nagar, the notice cited the occupant’s failure to provide a satisfactory explanation for rent default and deviations from lease conditions, including the stipulated purpose of the land.
The occupants, however, have voiced surprise and concern over the administration’s move, arguing that such actions could render families homeless and severely impact their livelihoods. Leaseholders, some of whom claim to have held properties on Nazool land since the 1930s and have regularly pursued lease extensions, described the eviction notices as unexpected. They highlighted that hundreds of families reside in houses situated on Nazool land and expressed apprehension about the socio-economic consequences of the evictions.
Collectively, Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 58,034 kanals of land categorized as Nazool land. This comprises 50,343 kanals in the Jammu division and 7,690 kanals in the Kashmir division. Approximately 5,618 kanals of this Nazool land are currently leased for commercial activities in prominent market areas of both Jammu and Srinagar cities.
The Chenab Times News Desk