CPI(M) MLA Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami has questioned the allotment of land to Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan in Kathua, during the ongoing budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Saturday.
He expressed concerns regarding the legal basis of the decision, although he did not specify the cricketer’s name, Indian media reporter.
The cricketer in question is former Sri Lankan ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has been allotted 206 kanals (about 25 acres) in Kathua to set up an INR 1,642-crore aluminium can manufacturing and beverages filling unit, according to a report on The Week.
The project is part of the new industrial policy introduced after abrogation of Article 370. His company, Ceylon Beverages, already has a plant in Karnataka and is now expanding into Jammu and Kashmir. The lease was signed on June 14 last year.
Muralitharan’s investment aligns with the J&K government’s plan to turn Kathua into an industrial hub, particularly in Bhagthali village near the Punjab border, which has been designated for industrial expansion. As the government actively promotes J&K as an investment destination, Muralitharan’s venture is among the high-profile foreign investments in the region.
The issue has reignited discussions on land allotment policies in J&K, especially regarding foreign investors. Opposition leaders are demanding more transparency in the land allotment process, making it a politically sensitive issue.
Congress MLA Ghulam Ahmad Mir, too, called for transparency, describing it as a serious issue that required immediate scrutiny.
Responding to the concerns, Agriculture Production Minister Javaid Ahmad Dar acknowledged the matter but said it falls under the Revenue Department’s jurisdiction.
Muralitharan, who is regarded as one of the best spinners in the history of the game, holds the record for the most number of wickets in Tests (800) and ODIs (534), and five-wicket (67) and 10-wicket (22) hauls in Tests. He was part of the 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lankan team.
