Srinagar, Feb 21: Compensation for land acquired under the Ring Road projects in Jammu and Kashmir is being released in accordance with prescribed norms, with the cost shared in a 90:10 ratio between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the UT government.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Devyani Rana, Minister for Jal Shakti Javed Ahmed Rana said that the Jammu Ring Road passes through the districts of Jammu and Samba. In the Kashmir Division, the project spans six districts — Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal and Bandipora. He was responding on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the House.
Sharing details of the compensation, the Minister said that in the Jammu Division, out of Rs 270.11 crore released, Rs 244.43 crore has been disbursed. In the Kashmir Division, of the Rs 1,514.34 crore released, Rs 1,450.94 crore has already been paid to landowners.
Regarding pending cases, the House was informed that 38 cases in Samba and 112 in Jammu district are yet to be settled in the Jammu Division. In the Kashmir Division, pending cases include 57 in Srinagar, 7 in Baramulla, 247 in Budgam, 905 in Ganderbal and 32 in Bandipora.
The Minister clarified that compensation in some cases remains pending due to reasons such as non-deposit of balance funds by the indenting department, ongoing court cases, title disputes between landowners and custodians, and other land-related issues. He further informed that Rs 3.73 crore pertaining to Jammu district has been uploaded on the Bhoomi Rashi portal. Additionally, Rs 28.20 crore has been deposited before the High Court of J&K in connection with title disputes involving 57 landowners. (Agencies)