By: The Trek News Desk
In a significant move aimed at rehabilitating families rendered homeless by natural calamities, the Jammu and Kashmir government has approved the allotment of five marlas of government land on a 40-year lease to landless disaster-affected households. The decision applies to families impacted during the year 2025, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
Responding in writing to a question raised by BJP legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the decision was taken by the Council of Ministers and formally notified through a government order issued on January 2, 2026. The land will be allotted to families who lost their homes due to floods, landslides, cloudbursts, and earthquakes across the Union Territory.
The Chief Minister clarified that the land will be provided strictly for residential purposes and no premium will be charged. However, beneficiaries will be required to pay a nominal ground rent of ₹10 per marla per year. The lease will remain valid for 40 years and may be extended in accordance with existing rules, subject to approval by the competent authority.
Highlighting the relief measures already undertaken, Omar Abdullah said that more than 6,400 families affected by flash floods and landslides in Udhampur district have received financial assistance exceeding ₹23.49 crore.
According to official figures, a total of 6,449 families across Udhampur, Chenani, Ramnagar, and Latti-Marothi tehsils were compensated as per prescribed norms. Of these:
- 2,666 families in Udhampur tehsil were sanctioned approximately ₹9.32 crore,
- 1,208 families in Chenani tehsil received over ₹5 crore,
- 2,298 families in Ramnagar tehsil were granted about ₹7.86 crore, and
- 277 families in Latti-Marothi tehsil were provided relief assistance exceeding ₹1 crore.
The Chief Minister said damage assessments were carried out by field-level teams, and all eligible cases were verified in line with State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) guidelines. The sanctioned compensation was transferred directly to the beneficiaries through approved financial channels.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to long-term rehabilitation, Omar Abdullah said the initiative to provide government land on lease reflects a sustained effort to ensure permanent housing solutions for families who lost their land and homes due to natural disasters.
Source: News Agencies
