Ghulam Nabi Azad, chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party, said in a public rally on Sunday that he will reintroduce the Roshni scheme if his party wins the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. 


Azad promised reintroduction of the scheme in a public rally in Samba district, the news agency PTI reported.


He also ensured that he would grant five marlas of land to the people living along the Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. 


The Roshni Act, popularly known as the Roshni Scheme, was crafted and implemented to grant proprietary rights to occupants of around 20.55 lakh kanals, out of which only 15.85 per cent of the ownership rights were approved.


The project was named 'Roshni' as the proceeds from the land conferment were to be used for generating electricity through a hydropower project, the Business Standard reported.


The Revenue Department had directed the deputy commissioners to remove all the encroachments from the state land, after which over 10 lakh kanals of land was retrieved.


In November 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir's administration had cancelled all land transfers that took place under the JK State Land Act, 2001, the reported PTI.


Following this incident, Ghulam Nabi Azad had called the eviction drive 'unlawful' and promised to bring it back once he was back in power. He had also alleged that government officials used the scheme to take over large chunks of land.


Azad, the former chief minister, said during the rally that five marlas of land in safer areas would be allotted to families living in Jammu, Kathua, and Samba districts, which lie along the International Border, as they are the regions that are worst affected by border firing, reported PTI.


While responding to the reporters' queries, Azad said that his party was prepared for elections. He said, "We have undertaken campaigns in most districts in Jammu and Kashmir. We are ready for polls," reported PTI.


The Roshni Act was passed in 2001 by the Jammu and Kashmir legislature and was hailed as a revolutionary step in the UT's history post Agrarian Reforms Act, a Business Standard report said.


The Act was repealed by the then governor Satya Pal Malik in 2018 after it was alleged that the scheme promoted corruption and contributed to unauthorised occupation of public lands in Jammu and Kashmir.


The Supreme Court has ordered the election commission to hold J&K assembly elections by September 30, 2024.