Union Territory Of J&K's Land Laws Changed: Any Indian Citizen Can Now Buy Land In Jammu & Kashmir, ‘Unacceptable’ Says Omar Abdullah

Urban land & immovable property in Jammu & Kashmir can now be purchased by residents of any state. Centre notified a new law to integrate the Union territory with the rest of the country. Earlier, only residents of Jammu & Kashmir were allowed to purchase land in the state. But the Centre's move in August 2019, scrapping the state's special powers under the Article 370 of the Constitution and its bifurcation into two Union Territories, paved the way for the change. In a gazette notification, the Centre has omitted the phrase "permanent resident of the state" from Section 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act. The act deals with the disposal of land in the Union Territory. Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha clarified that the new law does not apply to agricultural land. Senior Peoples Democratic Party leader Naeem Akhtar tweeted, “The land grab starts now”. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also tweeted. Left leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted saying, "This is highway robbery”. The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration – an amalgam of seven mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir – called the Centre’s new order a huge betrayal.