Ladakhis, who have mounted a spirited protest to prevent non-locals from purchasing land, have emerged as the biggest buyers of plots in Jammu and Kashmir since the scrapping of the erstwhile state’s special status in 2019.

The cold desert of Ladakh was part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, and under Articles 370 and 35A, non-residents could not buy land in the region.

The bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and the revocation of its special status have made J&K residents “non-locals” in Ladakh and vice versa.

Ladakh’s barrenness has attracted very few residents of Jammu and Kashmir, but hundreds from Ladakh have made J&K their home over the decades.

According to official data, 631 non-residents have purchased 386 kanals of land in Jammu and Kashmir valued at ₹129 crore since 2019. (One kanal is equal to 0.125 acre).

An analysis of the data reveals that the majority of “non-local” buyers were Ladakhis, mostly from Kargil.

Like Ladakhis, most Kashmiris are bitterly opposed to outsiders buying land in the Valley.

Responding to a query by National Conference MLA Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed, the Omar Abdullah government had on Friday informed the Assembly that 378 non-residents bought 212 kanals of land in the Jammu region while 253 non-residents purchased 173 kanals in the Valley.

“In total, 631 non-local residents purchased 386 kanals… at a consideration amount of ₹129.97 crore,” the government said.

In 2020, a non-local made the debut purchase of land in Jammu and Kashmir, buying one kanal for ₹10.06 lakh. Non-residents have since then been snapping up land parcels, with the LG’s administration believed to be actively encouraging the process.

In 2021, 57 non-residents purchased 24 kanals and 15 marlas of land, which rose to 158 outsiders buying 106 kanals in 2025.

The Telegraph found that around 350 of 631 buyers were from Ladakh. People from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Jharkhand, Delhi and Bihar have also purchased plots in Jammu, but their numbers have not crossed the two-digit mark. Only one buyer from Bengal figures on the lists.

As many as 11 people from Delhi have bought land in Kashmir, and only one from Bengal.

Although most have purchased small patches of land, a few have procured plots to set up business ventures.

Delhi-based Luxury Resorts Pvt Ltd has bought three land parcels — 22 kanals, 3 kanals and 6 kanals in Srinagar’s Chatterhama — according to the government data.

The other big buyer is H.G. Chawla with 15 kanals in Srinagar’s Harwan.

The figures mirror Omar’s recent claim that Jammu — and not Kashmir — would face the consequences of allowing outsiders to buy land. He was responding to BJP leader Sunil Sharma’s claim that Article 370 had put Jammu and Kashmir on a par with other states.

Official data show Ladakhis make up only one-third of the non-resident land buyers in Jammu but form the majority in Kashmir, making them the top purchasers in the entire region.

Overall, the number of people buying land has never crossed the three-digit mark, with militancy acting as a deterrent.

In 2022, the government had announced a 50 per cent concession in stamp duty for first-time buyers of real estate, which was seen as another attempt to woo outsiders to buy properties here.

On September 24, Ladakh witnessed violent anti-government protests to demand statehood and land and job safeguards for locals under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. At least four people were killed and around 50 injured in the violence.