J&K Admin. issues eviction notices in Srinagar’s high-end market of Lal Chowk, Kara Nagar against Nazool land occupants

The J&K Administration has issued eviction notices to several occupants of Nazool land, a government property allotted on lease, in Srinagar district that includes the iconic building of the Mohi-ud-Din Trust in the Polo View commercial centre. “The material produced does not establish the existence of any subsisting lease or an order of renewal/extension from the competent authority. Now, therefore, in exercise of the power’s conferred by Section (1) of the J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988, I, being the Estates Officer under the Act, hereby order the eviction of the Mohi-ud-Din Trust, Residency Road, Srinagar from the aforesaid public premises,” reads the eviction notice, issued by the Tehsildar, Srinagar.The eviction order has directed the Trust “to vacate the premises and handover peaceful possession to the Estates Officer on or before 21.09. 2026”.According to the Estates department, a prior notice was earlier on August 8, 2026, “calling upon the Trust to produce documentary evidence establishing their authorization to occupy the public premises”. The department, however, said a reply was submitted with original lease and various representations and correspondence seeking renewal of the lease, but “could not establish a subsisting lease”.“In case of failure to comply with this order within the time specified, action for eviction and taking over possession of the public premises shall be taken under Section 5(2) of the Act,” reads the notice.Eviction notices have also been issued in high-end locations in Srinagar’s Kara Nagar, Raj Bagh and Lal Chowk and even against those who have defaulted on rent. In one such eviction notice issued in Kara Nagar, the Estates department said, “The occupant has failed to furnish any satisfactory explanation or justification for the default in payment of rent and the deviation from the terms and conditions, including stipulated purpose, of the original lease,” reads another eviction notice.It said the occupant had submitted a reply “relied upon earlier expired lease and the erstwhile Roshni Act, however, nothing to justify the present occupation of the subject land has been produced”.In most of these notices, the eviction will be executed on September 21. “We have been the lease holders of a property since the 1930s. We have been following the extension of lease regularly with the government in the past. However, it remains pending. We find these eviction notices surprising. There are hundreds of families living in houses on Nazool land. Any such drive will make people homeless and hit their livelihoods,” said a lease holder from Raj Bagh. A total of 58,034 kanals of State land in J&K is categorised as Nazool land, which includes 50,343 kanals in the Jammu division and 7,690 kanals in the Kashmir division. Around 5,618 kanals of this land are given out on lease for commercial activities in high-end markets in Jammu city and Srinagar. Published - September 15, 2026 02:51 pm IST