JAMMU, February 13, 2026 – The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed a heated exchange on Friday after BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa alleged that individuals from the Kashmir Valley are encroaching on government land in Jammu city.
During a tense Question Hour, Randhawa stated that while there is no objection to residents from the Valley purchasing land legally, they should not be permitted to construct unauthorized structures on state-owned property.
The remarks triggered a significant uproar in the House, with ruling National Conference (NC) members strongly contesting the claims.
In response, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, speaking on behalf of the Chief Minister, confirmed that significant acreage—including 688 kanals in Tehsil Bahu and 579 kanals in Tehsil Jammu South—is currently under illegal encroachment, though she clarified that these are long-standing issues being addressed through legal channels.
Minister Itoo categorically rejected the regional framing of the issue, asserting that encroachment should not be viewed through a communal or regional lens and urging members not to divide the Union Territory on such grounds. She highlighted that since January 2025, the administration has intensified its crackdown, conducting 34 anti-encroachment drives and retrieving over 140 kanals of land for the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act.
Despite these assurances, the situation escalated as Randhawa approached the well of the House with documents in hand, demanding the immediate removal of all illegal occupants. The debate underscores the sensitive nature of land rights and regional identity in the ongoing political discourse of Jammu and Kashmir.
