In yet another move aimed at consolidating India’s military control in the UN-recognized disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the occupation authorities have constituted a Joint Board of Officers to identify “replacement land” for the Indian Army in lieu of 139.04 acres at the Tattoo Ground in Srinagar.
The order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) states that the eight-member board will be chaired by a Colonel from HQ 31 Sub Area, with the Station Commander of Haft Chinar and several civil officers from Srinagar, Islamabad and Baramulla serving as members. Defence Estates officials from Srinagar and Baramulla have also been included.
The Board has been tasked with assessing land earlier taken over by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Home Affairs through the so-called administration of the occupied territory, determining the value of land already transferred, and identifying additional parcels to compensate the 139.04 acres now required by the Army.
Observers say that such decisions underscore India’s ongoing policy of allocating civilian land for military use, despite Jammu and Kashmir’s internationally disputed status. The growing transfer of land to occupation forces has long fueled concerns among Kashmiris about demographic engineering, shrinking civilian space, and the entrenchment of military infrastructure across the territory.
Kashmiri rights defenders stress that India, as an occupying power, is obligated under international law to refrain from altering land ownership and administrative arrangements in a disputed territory. However, successive land transfer orders highlight the continued militarization of Kashmir and the disempowerment of its people under direct Indian rule.
