20 % of JDA’s Land Holding under Illegal Occupation, RTI Exposes
Jammu,08/March/2025:
In a shocking revelation that has come emerged through a Right to Information (RTI)
application filed by Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Sharma. The Jammu
Development Authority (JDA) has officially admitted that over 16000 Kanals of its land is under illegal occupation
by private parties and land mafias. This accounts for more than 20% of JDA’s
total land holdings.
In
response to Sharma’s online RTI query, Vishavjeet Singh, the Secretary and
Public Information Officer (PIO) of the JDA, vide his Office Letter No.
JDA/RTI/PIO/2025/79/17 dated 04/March/2025, disclosed these alarming figures.
The PIO’s reply informs that out of 80,976 Kanals and 10 Marlas of total land holdings of JDA, 16,467 Kanals and 10 Marlas is under illegal occupation of encroachers and as on date only 65,508 Kanals remain in JDA’s actual possession which means 20.34 percent land belonging to JDA is under illegal possession.
The PIO’s Letter also reveals that in Jammu district, JDA owns 68,992 Kanals and 11 Marlas of land, while in Samba district, it owns 11,983 Kanals and 19 Marlas.
Contrary
to the tall claims made by the J&K government and senior JDA functionaries,
the RTI reply refused to provide information regarding the total area of land
vacated and retrieved by JDA from the year 2015 to 2025 and the JDA’s response simply stated: “Record Not
Available.”
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