Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, authorities have refused to disclose land record details under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in Kupwara district, raising concerns about potential attempts to conceal illegal land transfers to outsiders and other corrupt practices.

According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, the move violates directives from the Central Information Commission (CIC) and Jammu and Kashmir’s transparency laws, raising questions about public access to critical land data.

Lawyer Rasikh Rasool filed an RTI application seeking mutation records for land transactions between 2016 and the present in Bowan and Watsar villages along the Handwara-Bangus Road, falling under Zachaldara Tehsil. The request aimed to obtain specifics such as buyer-seller addresses, gift deeds, and transfer details—information not updated on the J and K land records portal for two years.

However, Tehsildar Zachaldara rejected the application. The reply claimed the data constituted “personal and third-party information” and noted that affected individuals had refused consent for disclosure.

Rasool contested the denial, asserting that land records are public documents mandated for disclosure under Section 4(1)(B) of the RTI Act and the Public Records Act, 1993.

“This refusal is a blatant violation of the law and an assault on transparency,” Rasool stated. “The Revenue Department is legally obligated to maintain updated, publicly accessible land records. By withholding this, authorities are shielding potential irregularities.”