J-K admin reclaims land in Amritsar after 56 years

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has wrested control of a prized piece of land in Punjab's Amritsar city which was under illegal occupation for nearly 56 years, an official spokesman said on Wednesday.

The Resident Commission of the Jammu and Kashmir government took over the possession of 20 kanals (2.5 acre) of land, situated at Daim Gunj, Dhapai Road, Amritsar, on Monday, the spokesman said.

He said the land had been under illegal occupation since 1964.

"A decree in the case was instituted in 2006 by Jammu and Kashmir government but the execution petition was initiated in 2017 only which was fast-tracked and followed vigorously during the last one and a half years," the spokesman said.

He said a chunk of land comprising 32 kanals (four acres), situated at Daim Gunj, Dhapaie Road, Amritsar, and belonging to the government of Jammu and Kashmir had been leased out to three different parties for a period of five years, prior to 1964.

"The lease was not renewed and the occupants and their descendants continued the possession illegally," the spokesman said.

During the last two years, he said, the matter has been taken up on a fast track basis with the high court and the lower court for retrieval of the land.

"An application under Section 151 CPC had been filed on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir government before the lower court for getting the Warrants of Possession. The application was decided in favour of the J&K government on December 13 last year," the spokesman said.

With the present action, under court orders, on February 10, one chunk of 20 kanals has been retrieved, he said, adding the process for retrieving the remaining 15 kanals (1.8 acres) is also under adjudication and shall get settled soon.