Eviction notices on Nazool land spark concern among Srinagar traders
Srinagar's business community is worried after eviction notices were served on commercial establishments occupying Nazool land, including the Mohidin Trust building.
Eviction notices served on several commercial establishments in Srinagar have unsettled the city's business community, prompting its apex traders' body to press the government for a resolution that avoids displacing traders.
The notices concern establishments operating on Nazool land — government property leased to individuals, institutions or businesses for a fixed period and purpose, without transferring ownership rights. A significant share of Srinagar's commercial districts, including Lal Chowk, Residency Road and Rajbagh, stands on such land.
Official records place roughly 58,000 kanals, or over 7,000 acres, of Jammu and Kashmir under the Nazool category. About 8,000 kanals (1,000 acres) lie in Srinagar, while 50,000 kanals (more than 6,000 acres) are in Jammu.
Among those served is the Mohidin Trust building at Polo View, an iconic address in the city. The eviction order, issued by the Tehsildar Nazool, Srinagar, invokes Section 5(1) of the Jammu & Kashmir Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988, and directs the trust to vacate by September 21. The notice states that failure to comply will lead to eviction and possession being taken under Section 5(2) of the Act.
While acknowledging that the trust submitted its original lease and representations seeking renewal, the order holds that the material produced does not establish a subsisting lease or any renewal or extension granted by the competent authority. Similar notices have been issued to commercial establishments elsewhere in the city, including the Karan Nagar neighbourhood.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries has asked the government to find an amicable way out. Its president, Javed Ahmad Tenga, said the evictions should not go ahead, warning that they would deepen unemployment. He pointed to the Mohidin Trust building, which houses 40 to 42 entities, each employing two to four people, describing the premises as a livelihood for many families.
Tenga said the chamber is not opposed to revised terms and wants the government to develop a framework. Whatever is permissible under law, including a higher rent rate or an extension of the lease, should be considered, he said.