Srinagar, Sep 16: Despite having 1608 government accommodation units Kashmir Division, the Jammu and Kashmir Estates Department has still engaged 78 hotels and guest houses for the 2026 summer session. The Department has stated that no accommodation it manages is vacant at the moment reflecting the pressure on government-operated and owned buildings in J&K.
Seven quarters have been allotted to political parties, the RTI has stated.
It said that no government accommodation was occupied illegally by employees or political leaders.
The department refused details of accommodation allotted to social activists, journalistsand political leaders in J&K citing security grounds.
“In view of the prevailing security and law and order situation in the Jammu and Kashmir, disclosure of details relating to accommodation allotted to social activists, journalists and political leaders including location, particulars and other details of such accommodation many have security implications,” the RTI reply reads.
These figures have been disclosed by the Department as a reply to an application filed by M M Shuja.
As per the response, the total budget allocated to the Directorate of Estates (Jammu) and Directorate of Estates (Kashmir) from March 2025 to March 2026 was Rs 61 crore.
The department spent Rs 58.43 crore.
The Estates Department, Kashmir, has 1608 accommodation units under its control, the RTI reply states.
None of the accommodations is vacant.
The only two accommodations vacant in Kashmir division are two Type-VI category and Type-VII special bungalows at Tulsi Bagh.
Despite the massive government accommodation infrastructure, the department has taken over 78 hotels and guest houses for the 2026 summer session.
The hotels and guest houses are selected through an Expression of Interest and tender process, the RTI states.
The department has said that police personnel are deployed at each of these accommodations for frisking and security.
The government employees are allotted accommodation in the selected hotels and guest houses after the government appointed committee is satisfied with the standards of the accomodation.
In the past six years, the department has constructed 192 flats at Sempora, Pampore.
These comprise 16 one-BHK, 112 two-BHK and 64 three-BHK flats.
In addition, a multi-storeyed building comprising four three-BHK flats is also coming up at Jawahar Nagar.
This is being built on the space where a two-storey building with two government quarters existed but was gutted two years ago.
This is also the first multi-storey building in the area where two storey government quarters abound.
On the revenue side, Estates Kashmir generated Rs 19.24 crore between 2020-21 and 2025-26, with annual revenue standing at Rs 2.11 crore in 2020-21, Rs 3.32 crore in 2021-22, Rs 2.27 crore in 2022-23, Rs 3.47 crore in 2023-24, Rs 4.70 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 3.55 crore in 2025-26.
However, Rs 2.68 crore remain outstanding licence fee (update of June 30, 2026).
