New Delhi, Jul 18 (IANS): The Union government owes an outstanding due of Rs 24.5 crore as rent to various land owners in Jammu and Kashmir, the Defence Ministry has informed the Parliament.

The outstanding dues are only for land hired by the Defence Ministry for its various wings, departments and organisations in 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The ministry has 56,615.54 acres of land under its possession on rent in Jammu and Kashmir. The properties have been hired by the ministry either from private landowners or from the state government.

The information was submitted through a written reply to Parliament on Wednesday by Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Defence Shripad Naik.

Through the reply, Naik provided a breakdown of respective parcels of land in different districts of the state that have been obtained on rent by the defence forces. A maximum of 18,935.47 acres of land have been taken on rent in Jammu district. Srinagar comes a distant second with 3757.84 acres of land on rent with the ministry.

The outstanding rent is highest in Jammu district where the figure stands at Rs 7,65,20,330. The Army owes an amount of Rs 4,29,24,912 to various land owners in Rajouri district. Land owners in Baramulla district who have rented out their properties to the defence forces stand to get Rs 2,79,84,257 from the ministry.

In the last three years, the ministry has cleared payments of a cumulative amount of Rs 134.45 crore against land taken on rent.