Srinagar, In a move that has ignited controversy, authorities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have allocated 20 kanals of land to the Maharashtra government for the development of Maharashtra Bhawan in the territory. This decision has elicited strong objections from the local legal community, particularly concerning the site’s original designation for judicial infrastructure.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the allocated land resides in the Ichgam area of Budgam district, a decision made following a request from Eknath Shinde, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The proposed Maharashtra Bhawan, estimated to cost 77 crores, is part of a broader initiative to strengthen interstate relations within India. However, this initiative has not been without its detractors.

The District Bar Association Budgam has voiced significant concerns over the land transfer, noting that the site was initially earmarked for the construction of a New District Court Complex. The legal community accuses the District Commissioner (DC) of Budgam of subverting the process by facilitating the land transfer to Maharashtra, thereby jeopardizing the planned judicial infrastructure project. The association described the administration’s actions as a deliberate impediment to the development of essential judicial facilities, expressing both concern and disappointment over the decision.

Further, the Bar Association has called upon the authorities to revisit and reverse the decision, advocating for the land to be utilized as originally intended for the district’s judicial complex. This plea underscores the growing tensions between local needs and broader political agendas in the region.

The transfer and allocation of land in IIOJK have become increasingly contentious issues, especially following the Modi government’s 2019 revocation of the territory’s special status. Critics argue that new laws allowing for the acquisition of Kashmiri land by non-locals not only violate the disputed territory’s international status but also aim to alter its demographic composition. The case of the Maharashtra Bhawan land allocation serves as a poignant example of these broader geopolitical and social dynamics at play within the region.