Ask Army to vacate J&K lands it doesn't need, Mehbooba requests Sitharaman

Also pressed for speeding up revision and payment of rent in respect of landowners of Anantnag, whose land is being used by the army

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday requested Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to get state lands, which are no longer required by the army, vacated.

The Defence Minister arrived in Srinagar on Sunday afternoon and proceeded directly to south Kashmir's Pahalgam tourist resort to attend the executive council meeting of Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports.

Mufti met Sitharaman in Pahalgam and discussed several issues with her, officials said here.

Mufti sought intervention of the defence minister for the return of state lands no longer required for operational purposes by the army.

The Chief Minister brought several issues pertaining to defence to the union minister's notice.

"The Chief Minister also pressed for speeding up of cases of revision and payment of rent in respect of the landowners of Anantnag, whose land is being used by the army. The defence minister assured the Chief Minister to look into the issue of revision and payment of rent to the landowners of Anantnag," an official said.

Sitharaman regretted the delay and inconvenience caused all these years to the landowners who had not been paid rent so far, he said.

"She said that it was only during her first meeting with the chief minister recently that her attention was drawn towards this issue.

"A delegation of landowners also met the defence minister and she assured the delegation that she would try to fast-track their cases of rent payment and revision,", the official added.