Chief Secy reviews quality, disposal of migrant property grievances

Srinagar, Sep 3: Chief Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir, Atal Dulloo chaired a meeting to comprehensively review the quality and disposal of grievances lodged by Kashmiri migrant property holders across all ten districts of the Kashmir Division under The Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection and Restraint on Distress Sales) Act, 1997.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRR&R), Chandraker Bharti; Secretary, Revenue; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Deputy Commissioners; Relief Commissioner (Migrant), besides senior officers of other concerned departments.
The Chief Secretary directed the Divisional and District Administrations to ensure quality, thorough and time-bound disposal of every grievance, with particular emphasis on cases pending for long periods. He stressed that every complaint must be examined comprehensively and decided strictly on merit, ensuring satisfactory resolution for the concerned property owners.
Calling for greater use of technology in the management and protection of migrant properties, the Chief Secretary directed the remaining districts to expedite completion of geo-tagged inventories of migrant properties. He observed that comprehensive digital inventories would provide a reliable asset database and strengthen monitoring, protection and management of such properties.
During the meeting, the Principal Secretary, DMRR&R, Chandraker Bharti, gave an overview of the statutory framework governing migrant properties and the various Government orders and circulars issued from time to time to safeguard the interests of migrant property holders and bring greater clarity and efficiency in implementation of the Act.
A detailed presentation by the Relief Commissioner (Migrant) highlighted the progress achieved in strengthening the institutional, administrative and technological framework for protection of migrant properties and disposal of related grievances.
The review revealed significant field-level action for retrieval and protection of migrant land under the statutory powers vested with District Magistrates as legal custodians.
Between January and July 2026, 522 Kanals and 15.9 Marlas of migrant land were retrieved and secured under Superdari or handed over to the original owners. Adding that Bandipora emerged among the leading districts with retrieval of 146 Kanals and 7 Marlas, followed by Baramulla with 82 Kanals and 10 Marlas, Kulgam with 80 Kanals and 0.5 Marlas, Ganderbal with 53 Kanals and Srinagar with 50 Kanals and 16.9 Marlas.
The meeting was informed that the Online Migrant Grievance Portal (RRCM) has so far registered 12,223 complaints, covering various categories of violations, including 5,341 encroachment cases, 2,874 trespassing cases and 442 cases relating to record tampering.
Of these, 10,038 cases have been closed by the District Magistrates, while 7,605 cases have received final approval through the RRCM mechanism.
The administration has also instituted an independent Telephonic Quality Verification mechanism through the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to assess the quality of disposal of cases shown as closed.
Of the 4,918 applicants successfully contacted during the verification exercise, 4,605 expressed satisfaction with the disposal of their cases. The remaining grievances have been flagged for further administrative scrutiny and necessary remediation.
The Chief Secretary appreciated the quality-verification mechanism and stressed that disposal figures must be matched by actual, satisfactory and legally sustainable resolution on the ground.
The review also highlighted a series of institutional and technology-driven reforms introduced to improve transparency, monitoring and accountability.The districts of Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kulgam and Kupwara have completed geo-tagged digital inventories of migrant properties, providing a comprehensive technology-enabled mechanism for identification and monitoring of such assets.
The administration has further strengthened direct engagement with migrant property holders through grassroots outreach camps. Dedicated Additional Deputy Commissioners conducted extensive public outreach camps at Jammu during the first quarter of 2026, through which 1,878 complaints were received directly and 484 offline grievances were brought onto the unified digital platform.
The meeting was also apprised of the reforms introduced following implementation of a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) from October 2025, resulting in complete migration of the process to the e-Office platform.
The streamlined mechanism has enabled disposal of 129 complex alienation cases in the last 11 months, as against 6,258 cases processed during the preceding 28 years, reflecting a significant improvement in the efficiency and responsiveness of the system.
The Chief Secretary directed all concerned officers to maintain sustained focus on protection of migrant properties, expeditious disposal of grievances, strict adherence to statutory safeguards and continuous improvement in service delivery, while ensuring that the interests and lawful rights of migrant property holders remain fully protected.