Mumbai, March 15 (IANS): Maharashtra is going to be the first state in the country to own land in J&K.

The state will have the Maharashtra Bhawan which will come up in Budgam district to facilitate its tourists here.

The details of the project were worked out when Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited J&K in June 2023 during his meetings with Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, official sources said.

“UT government has approved the transfer of 2.5 acres of land at Ichgam in Budgam district near Srinagar international airport to Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 8.16 crore," said sources.

Reports also said that the state government has allocated Rs 77 crore for two Maharashtra Bhawans, one at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and the other at Budgam in J&K.

With the J&K’s approval of land transfer of 2.5 acres, Maharashtra, thus, would be the first state to own land in the union territory.

Before the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, no person, institution or entity belonging outside J&K could buy land here although a provision to allot land on 99-year lease to outsiders did exist before the acts were struck off.