‘Jammu Housing Board Properties for Local Residents Only, Kashmir Properties for All Indian Citizens’

The officials declined to comment on the eligibility criteria, saying, “You should check the PDF (advertisement) and every detail is there.”

SRINAGAR — The criteria for availing the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board properties under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY) has raised eyebrows in the erstwhile state, particularly in Kashmir.

The eligibility criteria for the Housing Scheme for Economic Weaker Section (EWS) in Jammu has been designated for only the residents under Jammu Municipal Corporation, Municipal Committees which include RS Pora, Bishna, Arnia, Gho Manhasa, Akhnoor, Khour, and Jourian, while the schemes advertised in Kashmir have been kept open for “all Indian citizens”.

In Jammu, the project is planned in the Bhalwal area of the Jammu region. In the project, 760 residential flats are to be made by the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board in partnership with PMAY and AHP (Affordable Housing in Partnership). The 760 residential flats consist of one bedroom, one family lounge, one kitchen, one bath, one W/C Wash, one balcony. The cost of one flat will be 9.25 lakhs and can be paid in seven instalments.

In another scheme, Housing Board is inviting bidders for the allotment of shops in Housing Colony Bemina, Srinagar on a 20 years lease basis. The eligibility for the scheme has been left open to all. The applicant should have attained 18 years of age on the date of application.

There are eight shops allotted which have an area of 160 sq. ft. each. The minimum bid has been set at Rs. 15 lakh. Whereas the registration fee has been set to Rs. 1.5 lakhs.  

The Board has also auctioned residential plots in Housing Colony, Rawalpora on a 20-year lease basis. The eligibility criteria for applying for the plot is open to all the citizens of India. “The applicant or any of his family members should not own any residential House/ Plot/Flat on a freehold/ lease basis allotted by the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board /JDA/Housing/ corporation/ Federation, Government, or any other Government agencies/ Undertaking in Kashmir Province,” reads the notification.

The Plot has an area of 4672 sq. ft. and the minimum bid has been set at Rs. 9,913,984 and the registration fee at Rs. 991,398. 

An official of the Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board said, “We have kept the scheme open for the economically weaker section only in Jammu.”

The officials declined to comment on the eligibility criteria of the residential plots in Kashmir. “You should check the PDF (advertisement) and every detail is there,” he said.