The government has disclosed that a total of 1,66,323 kanal of custodian land is under illegal occupation across the Union Territory.
The information was revealed in response to a question raised in the assembly by legislator Farooq Ahmad Shah.
According to the data provided by the Custodian General’s office, the illegally occupied land includes 1,62,340 kanal in Jammu Division and 3,983 kanal in Kashmir.
The total custodian land in Jammu and Kashmir is reported to be 14,49,406 kanal, with 13,93,446 kanal in Jammu region and 55,960 kanal in Kashmir.
The government said the process of removing encroachments and retrieving illegally occupied land is ongoing.
Over the past five years, the authorities have reclaimed 4,501 kanal of evacuee land, including 2,060 kanal in Jammu region and 2,441 kanal in Kashmir.
However, a significant portion of the encroached land remains entangled in legal disputes, which the custodians are actively contesting before various forums to ensure early disposal and subsequent retrieval.
The government stated that it has initiated proceedings under the Jammu and Kashmir Evacuees (Administration of Property) Act and its associated rules to remove illegal occupation from evacuee land.
Officials assured that efforts are being made to expedite legal processes and intensify eviction drives to reclaim government-owned land across the Union Territory.