J&K legislators raise concerns over land allotted to foreign cricketer in Kathua

Jammu, March 08: The allotment of land to a Sri Lankan cricketer in Kathua district of Jammu division sparked a heated debate in the Assembly on Saturday, with members alleging that even people with proprietary land had been evicted.

The discussion was triggered by a starred question from CPI(M) legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who had sought details on the criteria for allotting five marlas of land for residential construction and a district-wise breakdown of beneficiaries. In response, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javed Ahmad Dar, stated that landless families were provided land under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

The minister informed the House that 3,673 beneficiaries had received land under PMAY-G, while revenue authorities had allotted land to 498 beneficiaries.

However, Tarigami’s question quickly escalated into a broader debate, with legislators raising concerns over the reported allotment of land to a Sri Lankan cricketer in Kathua.

"How was this allotment made?" Tarigami asked.

Congress leader G.A. Mir echoed the concerns, calling it a serious matter. "This is a serious issue that needs to be looked into," he said.

AAP legislator Mehraj Malik alleged that even proprietary land had been taken from people in his constituency. Similarly, Ch. Akram, MLA from Surankote, accused authorities of evicting people from forest land.

Rajiv Jasrotia, MLA from Kathua, claimed that people in his constituency had not received compensation for land acquired under the PMAY scheme.