JAMMU, Aug 6: The Trikuta Nagar Welfare Society (Regd.), Main Market, Trikuta Nagar, convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the lease deed policy, building permission procedures and rent agreement policy currently under review by the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Rajinder P. Kakkar, with members and residents expressing concerns over the existing policies and putting forward a series of suggestions for reforms.
During the meeting, speakers observed that the lease deed policy had been introduced when the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir had separate legal provisions, including those relating to permanent residents. They argued that following the constitutional changes of 2019, there is a need to revisit the policy in view of the present legal framework.
The participants stated that agencies such as the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and the Housing Department had developed residential colonies on government land and allotted plots and flats after charging development and land costs. However, they alleged that after handing over possession, residents continued to face procedural hurdles in obtaining permissions and completing documentation. They also claimed that the existing rules are complex, time-consuming and create unnecessary difficulties for property owners.
The Welfare Society demanded that the Government simplify the property ownership process by replacing the lease deed system with a more streamlined mechanism based on domicile certificates and self-declarations, while ensuring clear ownership rights. It also urged the JDA and Housing Department to focus on the planned development of Jammu and Kashmir instead of what members described as cumbersome administrative procedures.
Through the meeting, the Society appealed to the concerned authorities to review the existing policies and introduce transparent and citizen-friendly reforms before the celebration of the 80th Independence Day, stating that such measures would help eliminate alleged corruption and reduce inconvenience to residents.
Among those who attended the meeting were Anil Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Er. Ashok Kumar Arora, Er. Varinder Kumar Suri, Krishan Lal Gupta, Som Nath Kaul, Advocate Harshvardhan Gupta, S. Amarjeet Singh, Partap Singh Arora and Professor Kulbhushan Mohtra.