MLA Vikram Randhawa’s Query Reveals Staggering Figures; Failure to Constitute Special Task Force, Lingering Encroachments, and Lack of Action Against Officials Raise Serious Concerns
- The J&K Government has formally admitted in the Assembly that a staggering 16,212 Kanals and 2 Marlas of JDA land are currently under encroachment, alongside 8 Kanals 16 Marlas of JMC land, primarily due to “pre-existing encroachments” at the time of transfer.
- Despite the massive scale of land grabbing, the government has no intention of constituting a Special Task Force with Police and Revenue, raising severe doubts about its will to tackle powerful land mafias, even as demolition drives are continuously undermined by alleged nexus between encroachers and JDA officials.
- The official reply on action against corrupt officials is vague, merely stating inquiries are initiated “as and when” instances come to notice, leaving unanswered questions about how much land has been retrieved since 2020 in hotspots like Paloura and why known instances of official complicity linger without decisive action.
MOHIT MEHRA
Jammu, October 27, 2025: A chilling revelation on the floor of the J&K UT Assembly today has exposed the alarming scale of land grabbing in the region, with the government formally admitting that a staggering 16,212 Kanals and 2 Marlas of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) land—an area equivalent to thousands of acres—is currently under illegal encroachment. This colossal figure, disclosed in a written reply to a question by MLA Choudhary Vikram Randhawa, not only highlights the massive plunder of public resources but also intensifies severe questions about the administration’s apparent impotence, bureaucratic lethargy, and alleged connivance that allows powerful land mafias to operate with alarming impunity.
The MLA’s question sought to ascertain the total area of JDA and JMC land under encroachment and the steps being taken to retrieve it. The government’s reply, issued by the Chief Minister (Minister In-Charge) Housing & Urban Development Department, revealed that in addition to the 16,212 Kanals of JDA land, 8 Kanals 16 Marlas of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) land at Chatha is also under encroachment, with the latter currently sub-judice. The reply weakly asserted that “some portion of land was transferred to JDA along with pre-existing encroachments,” a statement that seemingly deflects responsibility for years of inaction.
While the government claims that “regular anti-encroachment/demolition drives are carried out by the JDA in close coordination with the District Administration (Revenue and Police Departments)” and that retrieved land is “fenced, and installation of signboards are undertaken to prevent fresh encroachments,” the ground reality, as repeatedly exposed by Jammu Jottings, tells a starkly different story. Earlier this month, our reports highlighted the brazen re-encroachment of prime JDA land in Paloura, where a boundary wall, demolished by the JDA in February 2024, was illegally rebuilt overnight. This occurred despite a court-issued ‘status quo’ order, compelling the JDA to file a contempt petition. Such incidents underscore the alarming fact that “anti-encroachment drives have failed as the encroachers in nexus with certain JDA officials continue the status quo once the demolition drive is carried out or signboards are installed.”
The government’s refusal to constitute a Special Task Force (STF) in collaboration with Police and Revenue Departments for the specific purpose of retrieving encroached land is particularly baffling, given the massive scale of the problem. When confronted about this, the reply simply stated, “no separate Special Task Force has been constituted so far.” This apparent reluctance to deploy a dedicated, coordinated force raises serious doubts about the administration’s true will to confront these powerful land mafias, who often operate across departmental lines and with alleged political patronage.
The official response to MLA Randhawa’s query on initiating action against officers involved in facilitating such encroachments was equally vague and evasive. The government merely stated, “As and when any instance of involvement of an officer/official in facilitating encroachments upon JDA land comes to notice, Departmental Inquiry and Regular Departmental Action (RDA) are initiated against the delinquent officials.” This generic response offers no concrete details of action taken against any specific official, despite repeated instances of alleged collusion and inaction being highlighted by the media and public.
Crucial questions remain unanswered: How much JDA land has truly been retrieved between 2020 and 2025 in hotspots like Paloura, where JDA boards mysteriously vanish and new constructions appear overnight, as Jammu Jottings has consistently reported? Why, despite clear evidence of officials allegedly aiding land grabbers—like the Patwari who reportedly threatened his SDM over attendance or those involved in the ‘Gair Mumkin Jhad’ scam—has no decisive action been taken against them? The ED’s ongoing raids into the multi-crore Custodian Land scam, implicating revenue officials and land grabbers, further underscore the depth of the corruption.
The government’s reply to MLA Randhawa, while providing staggering statistics, ultimately fails to address the root causes of the widespread encroachments. It paints a picture of an administration seemingly overwhelmed or unwilling to tackle a problem that is bleeding public resources dry and eroding faith in governance. The question now looms large: Is the government so weak that it cannot retrieve its own land, or is the nexus between powerful encroachers and certain officials so deeply entrenched that it continues to paralyze the state’s enforcement machinery?
