Maharashtra to buy land in Kashmir for Rs 8.16 crore to build bhawan, first state to do so

The bhawan will come up on a plot of land measuring 2.5 acres at Ichgam, close to Srinagar airport. The J&K government has approved the transfer of land to the state government, subject to a payment of Rs 8.16 crore.

“Sanction is accorded to the transfer of Shamlat Deh land measuring 20 kanal situated at estate Ichgam Budgam in favour of Maharashtra state… on payment of transfer value of Rs 8.16 crore, which is Rs 40.8 lakh per kanal, for construction of Maharshtra Bhawan,” a Revenue department note states.

The process to purchase land and construct a tourist facility here was initiated after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Jammu and Kashmir and met Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in June last year.

The facility aims to offer comfortable accommodations and facilities for tourists and officials from Maharashtra.

In his budget speech, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, had said the government is constructing two Maharashtra Bhawans in Srinagar and Ayodhya to “provide better and safer facilities to the tourists and devotees of the State at reasonable rates”. Pawar had said that the state government has allocated Rs 77 crore for constructing these two state guesthouse facilities.

Before the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019, only permanent residents could buy land in the erstwhile state. The government, though, could lease land for longer periods – of up to 99 years – to industries and people from outside.