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Gulmarg leaseholders: Nobody should be dispossessed after decades of possession: Sajad Lone
In a statement, Sajad Lone said that in the case of extension of leases on government land in Gulmarg and other areas, he is firmly on the side of the incumbent allottees.
J&K Peoples Conference president and Handwara legislator Sajad Lone has taken a firm stand with incumbent leaseholders in Gulmarg while exposing the systematic corruption that created the current crisis.
In a statement, Sajad Lone said that in the case of extension of leases on government land in Gulmarg and other areas, he is firmly on the side of the incumbent allottees. “Nobody should be dispossessed from their properties after decades of possession,” he said, adding that this issue became personal when a school classmate told him their lease had expired and the government refused an extension. “As I grew up and joined politics, I could see that lease issue is more than a lease,” he said, questioning why governments never established clear, transparent lease policies.
Lone identified the core problem as successive governments deliberately keeping leaseholders in limbo rather than choosing between extending leases or implementing uniform vacation policies.
“What surprises me is that successive governments opted for neither option 1 nor option 2. They went in for option 3, which meant keeping the leaseholders in limbo,” he said.
Lone said this transformed leased land into a “milking cow,” where legitimate government fees became “underhand money paid to the person in power.” He pointed out that most leases expired between the early 2000s and now, yet previous governments with full powers chose inaction over resolution.
“Gulmarg especially is the backbone of tourism. How could you allow expired leases to pile up because you want a ‘hafta’?” Lone questioned, highlighting how corruption undermined Kashmir’s key economic sector.
He said that previous state governments had the authority to legalise encroachments and generate revenue, “but nothing was done. In fact, encroachment was used as a tool against the leaseholders.”
With the post-2019 scenario putting all leases in danger, Lone called for accountability: “Can we please at least have a discussion on who created this problem by creating a milking cow?”
