SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Union Territory Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the renewal of the expired lease deeds in the cold desert.
The LG has directed the Chief Secretary of Ladakh to organise special camps to settle the pending cases and hand over renewed lease deeds to the eligible applicants.
Saxena has called for prioritising the matter and providing relief to the aggrieved families by resolving all pending cases at the earliest.
The first such camp will be organised on April 15, where after verification of documents and processing of the licence fee, fresh lease deeds will be executed on the spot and handed over to the eligible applicants.
The LG Saxena has also directed to renew the lease deeds where ground rent was unpaid, subject to their depositing double the applicable ground rent, as a one-time settlement. This will further bring greater relief and clarity on land title in these cases.
For several years, the non-renewal of lease deeds has caused considerable hardship to residents of Housing Colonies. The absence of valid lease documents created legal uncertainty and construction hassle, along with difficulty in securing bank loans. This prolonged pendency had led to anxiety among families and hindered planned development in these areas.
Reiterating that resolving long-pending public grievances remains a top priority of his administration, Saxena said such initiatives are essential to build public trust, strengthen governance mechanisms, and ensure that citizens are not inconvenienced due to procedural delays.
He said handing over of renewed lease deeds is expected to bring much-needed relief and stability to the affected families and stands as a testament to the Administration’s commitment to responsive, transparent and people-friendly governance.
After assuming charge of LG Ladakh, Saxena had held a meeting with the officials to discuss land-related issues in Ladakh, including pending lease deed cases.
He had also received representations from the affected people as well as several social and political groups, seeking his intervention in resolving the issues.
In J&K, the lease of the majority of hotels in the ski resort of Gulmarg has expired and the Omar Abdullah government recently accepted the NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq's Private Members Bill on extending the leases in J&K Assembly. It has evoked strong criticism from BJP and Peoples Conference and they have accused the Omar Abdullah government of favouring the super elites through Tanvir Sadiq's Bill.