The J&K Chief Minister’s office and the Raj Bhawan on Tuesday (August12, 2025) submitted two separate positions to the J&K High Court that was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Gulmarg, a hill resort in north Kashmir that attracts high-end tourists to the Valley round-the-year.

The Division Bench, comprising J&K Chief Justice Arun Palli and justice Rajnesh Oswal, was informed by Senior Additional Advocate General Mohsin-ul-Showkat Qadri that there were two separate replies from the Chief Minister’s office and the Lieutenant Governor’s office. These were produced before the court in a sealed cover.

The court was hearing the PIL on environmental concerns of Gulmarg and the recent eviction of owners of the Nedou’s Hotel in Gulmarg after 137 years of possession. Justice Palli and Justice Oswal, while taking note of the two separate replies, decided to hear the case again on August 28, 2025.

However, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed displeasure over the Raj Bhawan’s move. Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Abdullah said, “Until recently the L-G has continued to maintain that he only has responsibility for security and Law and Order. Now suddenly he’s got involved in this. It’s unfortunate that the elected government is sought to be undermined by the unelected government”.

Around 55 hotels out of 59 could go under the hammer because of the lack of lease extensions in Gulmarg. The J&K Land Grant Rules-2022, which replaced the J&K Land Grants Rules-1960, introduced by the L-G in 2022 barred extension in case of lease expiry. The L-G administration had asked the outgoing lease holders to evict properties or else face evictions under the new rules. However, the current land holders termed these rules “exclusive to J&K where the first right to lease-holders has not been granted and revised rates negotiated”.

Many leaseholders have already challenged the new rules before the court. During the L-G rule, it was decided that an expert committee will enlist all properties where lease had ended and will be e-auctioned afresh. For the first time, the earlier bar that only locals could apply for lease of land has been done away with. The new rules instead open bidding to “any person legally competent under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.” In the past, no land in Gulmarg was granted on lease to any person who was not a permanent resident of the erstwhile state of J&K.