Mubashir Alam Wani
Srinagar, Jan 2: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah clarified on Thursday that there were proposals currently for auctioning properties in Gulmarg and that they are in the process of formulating a policy for lease renewals.
During an interaction with the media persons at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here in Srinagar, CM Omar said that authorities were instead focused on addressing the challenges posed by expired leases.
“There is no proposal at the moment for auctioning of properties in Gulmarg. There is a genuine problem with regard to leases. And we are in the process of formulating a policy for lease renewal,” Omar said.
According to the hoteliers in the region, the delay in the renewal of leases was affecting many hotels and properties in popular tourist destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
Responding to the question over the non-renewal of leases of hotels, CM Omar highlighted the widespread problem of expired leases in the region, stating that a ‘lot’ of hotels in Gulmarg and properties in Pahalgam were currently without valid leases.
CM Omar said that confusion was exacerbated by the striking down of the Roshni scheme by the courts. Under the now-defunct scheme, many leaseholders had opted to convert their leased properties to freehold ownership.
“With the court’s decision to nullify the Roshni Act, these individuals now lack both freehold and leasehold rights. So this is something the government is aware of,” the Omar added.
Meanwhile, reacting to the statement of CM Omar, chairman J&K hoteliers club Mushtaq Chahya, while welcoming the statement, expressed optimism on resolving lease issues for hoteliers and other businesses in the region.
Chahya said the move would be a progressive step towards boosting investment and safeguarding local interests, noting its alignment with practices in places like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
“This is a very good thing, as it aligns with the national policy,” he said, adding that the transition to freehold would provide much-needed relief to business owners, specially those in key tourism hubs like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Srinagar.
He said their sector has long faced challenges due to expiring leases and uncertainty around renewals, stating that in Gulmarg alone, there were maximum properties whose leases were expired.
“Resolving these issues would not only stabilize our operations but will also generate significant revenue for the government,” Chahya said.
Gowhar Maqbool, a top functionary at hoteliers association too, welcomed the statement, stating that there should be a policy that balances economic growth with the preservation of local interests.
