Maharashtra becomes first Indian state to buy land in Kashmir to construct 'Bhawan' for tourists: Report

Maharashtra becomes first Indian state to buy land in Kashmir to construct 'Bhawan' for tourists: Report

Maharashtra plans to build a tourist facility in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam, becoming the first state to buy land in the union territory.

Maharashtra is set to become the first Indian state to buy land in union territory Jammu and Kashmir in order to construct a tourist facility for the state's people.

Maharashtra Bhawan would be constructed in central Kashmir's Budgam--first-ever state Bhavan in the valley.

As per the IE report, the Maharashtra Bhawan will come up on 2.5 acres of land at Ichgam, near Srinagar airport.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved the transfer of land to the Maharashtra government for ₹8.16 crore.

The process to purchase land was initiated after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the union territory last year in June and met Governor Manoj Sinha.

Before the abrogation of Article 370, only the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir could buy land in the erstwhile state. However, at that, the government could lease lands for up to 99 years to industries and people from outside.

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In a recent budget speech, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that the state government is constructing two Maharashtra Bhawans in Srinagar and Ayodhya to provide "better facilities" to tourists and devotees.

The state government allocated ₹77 crore for constructing the two Bhawans.

Meanwhile, several areas of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Thursday while the plains were lashed by rains.

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According to the PTI news agency, the tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg received fresh snowfall during the night. Besides, Gurez and other areas in the higher reaches of Bandipora, Ganderbal, and Anantnag district also received fresh snowfall.

The upper areas of Srinagar along the Zabarwan Range received light snowfall, the officials added.

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The Srinagar city and other plain areas of the valley were lashed by intermittent rains throughout the night.

According to the weather department, Jammu and Kashmir may witness fresh spells of rain/snow from March 22-24.