Srinagar, Oct 24: The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to sell government land to mobilise revenue, according to Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen. "Measures are underway to utilize 'nazool' (government) land for generation of revenue by way of conferring its ownership rights," he said, addressing a day-long state-level Pathwar Conference here yesterday.

The minister said 7,000 kanals (350 hectares) of government land is presently under commercial use in Srinagar district alone and if disposed off can fetch Rs 500 to Rs 800 crore to the state. Yaseen said government contemplates to introduce uniform for pathwaries for their identification.

Describing the revenue department as backbone of the administration, he asked the officers and field staff, especially pathwaris, of the department to "change their mindset" towards attending the problems of the people besides compiling revenue records using the facilities provided by technology. Yaseen also asked them to intensify consolidation work which, he said, was aimed at providing new farming concept to farmers.

Bureau Report