185 non-residents bought land, over 1,550 companies invested in Jammu and Kashmir in 3 years: Centre in Rajya Sabha
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New Delhi, April 6: In a positive development, the Centre told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that 185 people from outside Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have bought land in the Union Territory including in Kashmir in the last three years.
"As per the information provided by the government of J&K, a total of 185 persons from outside J&K have bought land in the UT during the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. One person bought land in 2020, 57 in 2021 and 127 in 2022," Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, informed the Rajya Sabha in response to a written question.
"As per the information provided by the government of J&K, a total of 1,559 Indian companies, including multinational companies, have made investments in the UT. 310 entities have invested in 2020, 175 in 2021, and 1,074 in 2022-23," he said.
After abrogation of Article 370 in J&K 1,559 Indian companies & MNCs invested in Union Territory.
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182 individuals bought land in last 3 years.
Rai further informed, “As per the information provided by the Union Territory of Ladakh, no land has been bought by persons from outside the UT and no Indian companies, including multinational companies, have invested during the last three years.”
Last year in March, MoS Rai had told the Lok Sabha that 34 people from outside J&K have bought land in the Union Territory — including in Kashmir — since August 2019. "As per the information provided by the government of J&K, 34 persons from outside the UT of J&K have bought properties in the UT after abrogation of Article 370. The properties are located in Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur and Ganderbal districts," Rai had said. While Reasi and Udhampur are in Jammu, Ganderbal is in Kashmir.
In December 2021, in a written reply to a question, MoS Rai had told Parliament that “a total of seven plots of land have been purchased by persons from outside the UT of J&K (since August 2019). All the seven plots are located in the Jammu division.”
Article 35A barred people from outside J&K from acquiring properties in the region. In October 2020, the Centre notified new land laws for J&K which, among other provisions, allowed purchase of non-agricultural land by outsiders.