JAMMU, MARCH 31: Minister for Cooperatives, Javid Ahmad Dar, informed the House that the government has intensified efforts to protect cooperative assets across Jammu and Kashmir, alongside initiating broader reforms to strengthen the sector.
Responding to a question raised by MLA Narinder Singh Raina, the Minister said that cooperative institutions own 728 acres of land. Of this, 694 acres is in possession, while about 36 acres and 12 marlas (nearly 5%) is under illegal encroachment.
In the Kashmir Division, around 12 acres and 16 marlas of land is affected, with cases reported from Baramulla, Bandipora, and Srinagar, involving litigation, historical occupation, and local disputes.
In the Jammu Division, approximately 23 acres and 8.5 marlas of land is under encroachment across Jammu, Kathua, and Kishtwar districts, mainly due to demarcation issues, documentation gaps, and ongoing court cases.
The Minister added that the department is actively pursuing legal remedies and coordinating with district authorities to recover the encroached land, although litigation has slowed progress in several cases.
Highlighting structural reforms, he said that the government has initiated a comprehensive overhaul of the cooperative legal framework. The proposed changes aim to introduce stronger audit systems, improved accountability, and uniform governance standards to better safeguard cooperative assets.
He assured the House that the government will take all necessary steps to protect cooperative land and ensure that illegal encroachments are addressed strictly in accordance with the law.