The recent allotment of 5 marla land by the UT administration under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) has changed the fate of several landless families, promising them a brighter future in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
For Ghulam Rasool Ganaie, a shepherd from Chak Seeri Pattan, this news was akin to witnessing a miracle. He and his family of six had been crammed in a single room, sharing space with his five brothers. The landless Ganaie, who eked out a living by tending to other people’s cattle, couldn’t have imagined a better gift. “It is like a dream come true,” Ganaie said. “After being allotted 5 marla land, I believe I am among the fortunate ones.”
Ganaie said all along his life he has been grazing cattle in the green postures, but his personal life has been extremely hard. He said he and his family have gone through a miserable life. He said he would have never thought of having his own shelter owing to his meager income, however, the UT administration’s efforts have brought cheer to him.
Muhammad Sultan Dar, another landless beneficiary hailing from Rakhi Hygam Sopore, was among the five landless beneficiaries who were allotted 5 marla land under the PMAY-G scheme by the Baramulla district administration.
His family of six had been living in a tin shed, with one side serving as a kitchen and the other as a bedroom. Sultan’s sole source of income came from hard labour.
With satisfaction on his face, Dar said, “It is like an Eid day for us. We have been living in abject poverty, and the idea of owning land and building a house was beyond our wildest dreams.”
Muhammad Sultan said, they have been going through the worst during all these years. He said being in the tin shed along with five members of his family “was always like living in hell.” He said during the summer, the heat emanating from tin shed would make their life miserable while in the winter, the extreme cold would prove another miserable season of their yearly ordeal.
“Anyone who is a homeless can understand our pain. The LG administration’s efforts have provided us a hope for better living, a living where we can now imagine a better future for our kids,” said Sultan.
With a hop to construct a single story house in near future, beaming Muhammad Sultan said, “I will now put all my efforts in constructing a small house where my kids will have own space and privacy”.
Under the PMAY-G scheme for landless people of UT of Jammu and Kashmir, an individual shall be considered landless if he is a domicile of Jammu and Kashmir, has a separate family does not have land in his name or in the name of any of his family members or is not entitled to inherit 5 marla or more of land.
As per the official records, the Baramulla district administration has received around 111 applications so far seeking benefit under the scheme announced by the LG administration recently.
So far the land had been allotted to five residents of the Baramulla district under the scheme which are 3 from Rakhi Hygam, and 2 from Pattan.
The Assistant Commissioner Revenue Baramulla, Mumtaz Ahmad, said that the application of other applicants is being scrutinised under the guidelines of the scheme. “The applications are strictly being verified by the concerned officials and if they fall under the criteria of the scheme, they will be allotted the 5 Marla land,” said ACR Baramulla.
The PMAY-G scheme paints a picture of new beginning and brighter tomorrows for these landless families. The scheme continues to be a beacon of hope, lighting the path to a more inclusive and empowered future for all.
