Mutation & Mayhem

Clerical errors and illegal mutations are leaving many Kashmiris dispossessed and powerless.

- Mohammad Amin Mir

Mohammad Yousuf thought that reporting his father's death and updating the revenue records was a simple formality.

But this Baramulla businessman did not know that a single clerical entry, a mutation, could decide whether he truly owned his family land or not.

Land is identity, history, and survival in the valley. Families tie their future to it, and the stakes are high. But much of the authority over land ownership rests in small Patwar khanas, in the hands of officials who make entries that seem administrative but often have consequences far beyond their desks.

Mutation, legally known as Intiqal, is supposed to be a simple record: a note updating the rights of a property after inheritance, sale, mortgage, or gift.

The Land Revenue Act, Samvat 1996, establishes it as a statutory duty. Section 21 makes it clear: anyone acquiring land must report it. Failure opens doors to false claims, illegal possession, and fraud.

Standing Order No. 23, the operational manual for mutation, is the real law in action. It lays out the types of mutations, who can attest them, and the steps of enquiry.