Eighty per cent of the land belonging to the migrant Kashmiri Pandits in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district remains unsold, according to the RTI reply from the office of DC Kupwara.
The RTI was filed by Vijay Kashkari, a resident of Kartar House-187, Housing Board Colony, Jharsa Road, Sector-15, Part-2, Gurgaon, Haryana, seeking information on the status of immovable properties of Kashmiri migrants under the RTI Act, 2005.
In response, DC Kupwara confirmed that as per the migrant inventory, 80 per cent of Pandit land in Kupwara has not been sold to date.
Kashmir Pandits left the valley during the early 90s as a result of insurgency, despite government assurances. The migrant Pandits have not returned, amid fear and security concerns.
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“This reinforces our stand of an independent research & survey done by the Whetstone agency, which says 66.6% of Kashmiri Pandits still own lands back in the valley,” said Ravindra Pandita.
He said, “We urge all District Development Commissioners to come out with respective data so that a final consolidated land survey is known village-wise.”
Kashmiri Pandit activists, while reacting to the RTI findings, said, “This is another stark reminder that our displacement continues.
Despite promises, a majority of Pandit land remains unsold, either due to encroachment, bureaucratic hurdles, or the sheer uncertainty of return.”
With 80 per cent of their land unsold in Kupwara, Kashmiri Pandits continue to await a resolution that either paves the way for their dignified return to their valley.
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