The Jammu and Kashmir government’s eviction notices to establishments operating on Nazool land have triggered concern among sections of Srinagar’s business community, with several commercial properties facing action over alleged failure to renew leases or pay rent. Among the properties facing eviction proceedings is the Mohi-ud-Din Trust building on Residency Road near Polo View, which houses more than 40 commercial establishments. The development has caused unease among traders and business owners whose establishments operate from properties classified as Nazool or state land.
According to official records, around 58,000 kanals of land, equivalent to more than 7,000 acres across Jammu and Kashmir falls under the Nazool category. Of this, approximately 8,000 kanals (around 1,000 acres) are in Srinagar, while nearly 50,000 kanals (more than 6,000 acres) are located in Jammu. Several prominent commercial areas of Srinagar, including Lal Chowk, Residency Road and Rajbagh, include properties situated on Nazool land. An eviction order issued by the Estates Officer under the Jammu & Kashmir Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988, concerns Nazool/state land under Khasra Nos. 174-A and 174/1 in Estate Kothibagh, Srinagar.
The order states that a notice under Section 4 of the Act was issued to the Mohi-ud-Din Trust on August 5, 2026, asking it to produce documentary evidence establishing its authority to occupy the premises. The eviction proceedings have also triggered political reactions. BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma alleged that the government was itself involved in encroachments and said his party would oppose eviction measures affecting small businesses. “In some places, this government wants to take away the rights of poor people who earn their livelihood by running small business establishments. The Bharatiya Janata Party will protest against this,” Sharma said.
Meanwhile, PDP MLA Wahid Parra also criticised the government, linking the eviction proceedings to what he described as a departure from electoral promises concerning land security. Parra referred to the Land Bill brought by his party and said it had sought to provide protection to people living on state land. “Unfortunately, this government is going back on every promise on which it contested the elections and came to power,” Parra said.
National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq also questioned the move and said that many occupants had spent their entire lives on the properties. “It’s definitely not justified. These people have spent their entire lives on those properties. The government is looking into the matter, and we’re hopeful that a solution will be found,” Sadiq said. The government’s action has consequently brought renewed attention to the status of Nazool land across Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Srinagar, where several long-established commercial centres have developed on such properties.
