FARAD, mutation halt over land fraud leaves Sgr residents in limbo

Srinagar, July 23: A sweeping halt on the issuance of FARAD (land ownership documents) and mutation certificates by the Revenue Department in Srinagar’s Chanapora, Natipora and Rawalpora areas has triggered distress among residents, who say they are being penalised for fraud committed by rogue land brokers.Hundreds of genuine landowners are unable to sell, transfer or mortgage their properties, with applications being rejected or reverted on the revenue portal without clear explanation. One such rejected application viewed by Rising Kashmir states:  “This application was reverted by Tehsildar Chanapora Natipora on July 20 due to the reason–the FARAD has been stopped for estate Rawalpora in compliance to order from Revenue Secretariat.”According to senior revenue officials, the drastic step was taken following reports that brokers were illegally selling more land than existed, exploiting the lack of updated land records.  “There is no Latha (land map) available for these locations,” a revenue official told Rising Kashmir. “In many cases, brokers used fake or incorrect survey numbers. The land either didn’t exist or overlapped with state-owned property.”He added that the Revenue Secretariat issued a blanket ban on FARAD and mutation issuance in the affected estates—particularly Rawalpora—until proper verification mechanisms are put in place. “If we issue a FARAD on the wrong land, it becomes a legal and administrative liability for our office,” he said. The decision has sparked public outrage, with many calling the move unfair to genuine landowners.  “We understand that land scams have happened, but why should ordinary people with valid documents suffer?” said a resident of Chanapora. “Some families need to sell land for urgent medical expenses or educational needs.”A government employee from Natipora shared that he was unable to proceed with a home loan application after being informed that no FARAD would be issued due to a “secretary-level order.”  “This kind of bureaucratic gridlock is deeply frustrating,” he said. Residents are now appealing to the Revenue Minister and Lieutenant Governor to intervene and differentiate between fraudulent and genuine cases.  “Investigate and punish those who committed fraud, but don’t punish the entire population,” said a local. “We request the government to allow FARAD and mutation processing in genuine, verifiable cases.” As land records remain under scrutiny and digitalisation efforts continue, the incident exposes deeper structural flaws in land administration and mapping in urban Srinagar—raising questions about accountability, transparency, and the rights of rightful landowners.