Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Jammu and Kashmir Issues Notices Over Expired Property Leases
The Jammu and Kashmir government is asking some people to leave government-owned properties in Srinagar.
Their leases, which are agreements allowing them to use the properties, have expired.
Notices were sent in places such as Polo View Market, Rajbagh, Karan Nagar and Lal Chowk.
Some occupants also owed rent or did not follow the original lease rules.
One notice told the Mohi-ud-Din Trust to leave its building by September 21.
Officials say the occupants did not show that they had a current lease or an approved renewal.
The government says it is acting under land and public-property rules.
Some people in Kashmir worry that the properties could later be offered to outsiders.
The government previously issued similar notices in Pahalgam and Gulmarg.
The Jammu and Kashmir government issued eviction notices to occupants of government properties in Srinagar whose leases have expired.
The notices affect localities including Polo View Market, Rajbagh, Karan Nagar and Lal Chowk, with many evictions scheduled for September 21.
Officials cited the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grant Rules, 2022, and the J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988.
A notice to the Mohi-ud-Din Trust said its expired lease and renewal requests did not establish a current legal right to occupy the premises.
Some Kashmir residents believe the campaign could remove local occupants and allow outsiders to bid for the properties.
The Union Territory told the Assembly that it holds 58,034 kanals of nazool land, including 5,618 kanals leased for commercial use.
- Who
- The Jammu and Kashmir government, including local revenue officials, issued notices to occupants and lessees of government properties.
- What
- Eviction notices were issued over expired leases, unpaid rent and alleged breaches of lease conditions.
- When
- The notices generally set September 21 as the eviction date; one notice referred to a notice served on August 8, 2026.
- Where
- The affected properties include Polo View Market, Lal Chowk, Karan Nagar and Rajbagh in Srinagar; similar notices were previously issued in Pahalgam and Gulmarg.
- Why
- Officials said occupants had not established a subsisting lease or approved renewal, and some had defaulted on rent or departed from the original lease terms.
Government and administrative position
Concerns raised in Kashmir
Basis for eviction
Government and administrative position
Officials say occupants must return government land when leases have expired and when they cannot show an approved renewal or extension. Notices also cite unpaid rent and violations of lease conditions.
Concerns raised in Kashmir
Affected occupants and local observers may challenge the notices by pointing to previous lease documents, renewal requests and correspondence submitted to the authorities.
Effect on local occupants
Government and administrative position
The administration presents the action as part of a broader effort to reclaim state land under the post-2019 land-governance framework.
Concerns raised in Kashmir
Many in Kashmir believe the initiative is intended to remove local occupants and make the properties available for outsiders to bid for them.
- Legal framework
- Jammu and Kashmir Land Grant Rules, 2022, and the J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988.
- Main city affected
- Srinagar.
- Named localities
- Polo View Market, Lal Chowk, Karan Nagar and Rajbagh.
- Eviction deadline
- September 21, according to most notices.
- Nazool land held
- 58,034 kanals, according to a government statement to the Assembly.
- Commercially leased land
- 5,618 kanals of the Union Territory’s nazool land was leased for commercial purposes.
- Lease example
- The Mohi-ud-Din Trust was told to vacate its Polo View premises after failing to establish a current lease or approved renewal.