Srinagar, Sep 3 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday reviewed the disposal of grievances related to properties of Kashmiri migrants across all 10 districts of the Kashmir division and directed officials to ensure time-bound resolution of pending cases.
Chairing a meeting attended by senior officials, including the divisional and district administrations, Dulloo stressed that every grievance lodged under the Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection and Restraint on Distress Sales) Act, 1997, should be examined comprehensively and decided strictly on merit.
He also called for greater use of technology in the management and protection of migrant properties and directed the remaining districts to expedite completion of geo-tagged digital inventories of such properties.
The meeting was informed that 522 kanals and 15.9 marlas of migrant land were retrieved and secured under Superdari or handed over to the original owners between January and July this year.
Bandipora accounted for the highest retrieval at 146 kanals and seven 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, officials said.
The Online Migrant Grievance Portal has so far registered 12,223 complaints, including 5,341 encroachment cases, 2,874 trespassing cases and 442 cases related to alleged tampering of records.
Of these, 10,038 cases have been closed by the district magistrates, while 7,605 have received final approval through the portal mechanism.
An independent telephonic quality verification mechanism was also instituted through the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to assess the quality of disposal of cases shown as closed.
Of the 4,918 applicants contacted during the verification exercise, 4,605 expressed satisfaction with the disposal of their cases, while the remaining grievances were flagged for further scrutiny and remedial action.
Dulloo appreciated the verification mechanism and said disposal figures must translate into actual, satisfactory and legally sustainable resolution on the ground.
The meeting was also informed that Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kulgam and Kupwara have completed geo-tagged digital inventories of migrant properties.
Officials said grassroots outreach camps conducted at Jammu by Additional Deputy Commissioners during the first quarter of 2026 resulted in 1,878 complaints being received directly, with 484 offline grievances subsequently brought onto the unified digital platform.
Following implementation of a revised Standard Operating Procedure in October 2025, the entire process has also been shifted to the e-Office platform.
The streamlined mechanism has enabled disposal of 129 complex alienation cases in the last 11 months, compared with 6,258 cases processed during the preceding 28 years, officials said.
Dulloo directed officials to maintain sustained focus on protecting migrant properties, expediting grievance disposal and strictly adhering to statutory safeguards while ensuring protection of the lawful rights of migrant property holders.—(NVI)
