'Compensation paid in over 80 per cent land acquisition cases'

The Jammu and Kashmir government today said in the Assembly that compensation had been paid in more than 80 per cent of land acquisition cases in the state.
"Compensation has been paid in more than 80 per cent land acquisition cases in the state," Minister of State for Revenue , Relief and Rehabilitation Ajaz Ahmed Khan said while winding up the discussion on the demand of grants for the departments under his charge in the Legislative Assembly today.
The minister assured the House the settlement operations in the state would be completed within five years and all land records would also be updated.

He said the Settlement Organisation of the Revenue Department has been reorganised and seven posts of Regional Directors of Settlement and Land Records Management had been created by the state government.
Khan said the department has drawn up a road map for the completion of settlement operations and updating Land Records and in this connection the Land Records Management Agency created by the government has been registered. He said the aim was to update land records and simultaneously computerise them to induce transparency and accountability.
Describing the creation of administrative units in the state as "monumental", the minister said the aim of this exercise was to take administration to the doorsteps of the people in far-flung, hilly and so far inaccessible areas.

On the issue of land compensation cases raised by several members during the discussion, the minister said more than 31,000 kanals (3875 acres) of land has been acquired in Jammu and Kashmir for various vital projects like Railways, National Highway widening and PMGSY and so far Rs 381 crore have been paid as compensation to the land owners.
He said for expansion of National Highways 19,759 kanals (over 2469 acres) of land had been acquired for which Rs 615.23 crore had been paid as compensation, and added that so far compensation had been paid in case of 91 per cent rail projects, 88 per cent National Highway expansion projects and 86 per cent PMGSY projects.