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Hindustan Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Grant legal land ownership rights to families displaced from East Pakistan: Yogi directs officials
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed officers to grant legal land ownership rights to families displaced from East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) who have been resettled across various districts in Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath has said it is a sensitive and historic step toward delivering justice to the displaced families who have lived in uncertainty for decades. (FILE PHOTO) The state government's decision is likely to provide relief to over 10,000 families who had migrated from East Pakistan and are now residing in Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bijnor and Rampur districts. The action for granting land ownership to the displaced families should be time-bound, the chief minister said at a high-level meeting. Terming the issue as more than just a matter of land transfer, Yogi Adityanath said, 'This is an opportunity to honour the decades-long struggle of thousands of families who took refuge in India and have waited for rightful rehabilitation. These families must be treated with both sensitivity and dignity. It is the moral responsibility of the government.' According to official records, after the Partition of India and Pakistan, thousands of displaced families from East Pakistan were resettled in Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bijnor, and Rampur districts between 1960 and 1975. Initially, the families were settled in transit camps and provided agricultural land for livelihood. A majority of these families have still not received legal ownership due to discrepancies in records and administrative delays, a state government officer said. Officials informed the chief minister that although land has been allotted to the families in several villages, yet various legal and administrative hurdles, including land being recorded under the forest department, incomplete transfer procedures, and lack of physical possession, have prevented many families from receiving formal rights of the land. In some areas, families from other states have also been resettled, but continue to remain without legal ownership, the officer said. The present assessments reveal that in many villages, displaced families have been cultivating land for years and have even constructed permanent homes. Yet, their names are still missing from official land records. In contrast, some of the original allottees no longer reside in those areas. Additionally, in certain areas, individuals have taken possession of land without completing the necessary legal formalities, leading to further complications, he said. Addressing the challenges, the chief minister emphasized the need to explore alternative legal mechanisms in light of the repeal of the Government Grant Act in 2018. He instructed the officers to explore new provisions within the existing legal framework to resolve these long-standing issues. 'This is not just a policy decision; it is a sensitive and historic step toward delivering justice to the displaced families who have lived in uncertainty for decades,' the chief minister said. 'This effort must be viewed through the lens of social justice, humanity, and national responsibility. It is a chance to restore dignity to lives long overlooked,' he added. DISPLACED FAMILIES WELCOME CM'S DECISION Residents of Ramnagar village in Puranpur tehsil of Pilibhit district welcomed chief minister Yogi Adityanath's decision to grant legal land ownership rights to families displaced from East Pakistan. The Bengali speaking people who migrated post-Partition and during 1971 Indo- Pak war to seek refuge in India were allotted land near the Sharda river in Pilibhit. Vivek Mistri, 45, resident of Ramnagar, said, 'We are settled on irrigation department land and have been served an eviction notice by the department. I was born in Ramnagar village. Though we have been settled for three generations, the local administration treats us as outsiders.' 'We have to run from pillar to post to get the benefit of the schemes launched by the government. The announcement by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to grant us legal rights of the land has come as a ray of hope after years of struggle. We will be treated at par with the local people and will have all the rights,' he said. Mistri is not alone. There are thousands of Hindus of Bangladeshi origin settled in 10 gram panchayats near Sharda Sagar dam. These gram panchayats include Kundannagar, Bidhipur, Najaulia Natka, Gabia, Maharajpur, Nagoria Lalpur, Ramnagar, Sela and Dhuria. A majority of the residents have Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards and ration cards. The children are enrolled in local schools. In April 2024, the villagers submitted an application on the Indian Citizenship online portal launched after the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for registration as Indian citizens. Sapan Das, 55, who came from Faridpur district in Bangladesh, said, 'We have been staying in Pilibhit for three decades but have no ownership rights on the land on which we are settled. Our future seemed uncertain as we were leading the life of refugees. In contrast, the Sikhs who came from West Pakistan got land registered in their names and were enjoying all the rights over their property.' Dr Mukund Biswas, who runs a medical centre, said his forefathers migrated from Khulna in Bangladesh to Ramnagar in Pilibhit district. 'In 1989, we were relocated near Sharda Sagar Dam after our village was eroded due to a change in the river's course. We are settled on irrigation department land and are not permitted to construct pucca houses. A majority of migrants have been forced to live in huts for several decades,' he said. 'We spent our life struggling for the rights over the land. The decision of the CM to provide legal ownership of the land will ensure a better life for the young generation,' he said. The state government should also resolve the caste certificate issue, said Sameer Mandal. He added the Bengali community consists of the OBCs, SCs and upper caste people but 'we are issued general category certificates by the administration.' 'The children from the OBC and SC communities do not get benefits of the schemes launched for deprived sections,' he said. Bharatiya Janata Party district unit leader Sunil Gangwar said there are 6.5% Bengali voters in Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency. 'The BJP government is working for their welfare. Along with launching various schemes in the villages, the state government will ensure that displaced families get ownership of the land on which they are settled for generations,' he said.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CM Yogi orders swift action on land ownership rights for families displaced from East Pakistan
LUCKNOW: chief minister directed concrete action towards granting legal land ownership rights to the families displaced from East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and settled in various districts of the state in a high-level meeting, a release said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The chief minister stated that this is not just a matter of land transfer, but an opportunity to honour the life struggles of thousands of families who took refuge in India from across the country's borders and have been waiting for rehabilitation for decades. Describing the issue as more than just a matter of land transfer, the chief minister said, "This is an opportunity to honour the decades-long struggle of thousands of families who took refuge in India and have waited for rightful rehabilitation. These families must be treated with both sensitivity and dignity; it is the moral responsibility of the government." Officials reported that between 1960 and 1975, following the Partition, thousands of displaced families from East Pakistan were resettled in the districts of Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bijnor, and Rampur. Initially settled through transit camps and provided agricultural land, most of these families have still not received legal ownership due to discrepancies in records and administrative delays, the release stated. The chief minister was informed that although land has been allotted in several villages, various legal and administrative hurdles, including land being recorded under the Forest Department, incomplete transfer procedures, and a lack of physical possession, have prevented many families from receiving formal land rights. In some areas, families from other states have also been resettled but continue to remain without legal ownership. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Current assessments reveal that in many villages, displaced families have been cultivating land for years and have even constructed permanent homes. Yet, their names are still missing from official land records. In contrast, some of the original allottees no longer reside in those areas. Additionally, in certain areas, individuals have taken possession of land without completing the necessary legal formalities, leading to further complications, it added. Addressing these challenges, the chief minister emphasised the need to explore alternative legal mechanisms in light of the repeal of the Government Grant Act in 2018. He instructed officials to explore new provisions within the existing legal framework to resolve these long-standing issues. "This is not just a policy decision; it is a sensitive and historic step toward delivering justice to those displaced families who have lived in uncertainty for decades," CM Yogi said. "This effort must be viewed through the lens of social justice, humanity, and national responsibility. It is a chance to restore dignity to lives long overlooked."
News18
21-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
CM Yogi Directs Officials To Grant Land Ownership Rights To Bangladesh Refugees
Last Updated: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath directed officials to grant legal land ownership to Bangladesh refugees, emphasizing moral responsibility and historic significance. In a significant move, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed state officials to take swift action in granting legal land ownership rights to around 10,000 families displaced from Bangladesh who have been resettled across various districts in the state. Calling it a moral responsibility of the government, Chief Minister Adityanath said, 'This is an opportunity to honour the decades-long struggle of thousands of families who took refuge in India and have waited for rightful rehabilitation. These families must be treated with both sensitivity and dignity." 'This is not just a policy decision; it is a sensitive and historic step toward delivering justice to those displaced families who have lived in uncertainty for decades," CM Yogi said. 'This effort must be viewed through the lens of social justice, humanity, and national responsibility. It is a chance to restore dignity to lives long overlooked," added. Officials reported, post partition, between 1960 and 1975, thousands of displaced families from East Pakistan resettled in Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bijnor, and Rampur districts. Initially settled through transit camps and provided agricultural land, most of these families have still not received legal ownership due to discrepancies in records and administrative delays. The CM was informed that although land has been allotted in several villages, various issues, including land being recorded under the Forest Department, incomplete transfer procedures, and a lack of physical possession, have acted as a hindrance in the process to grant them formal land rights. In some areas, families from other states have also been resettled but continue to remain without legal ownership. Recent assessments revealed that in many villages, those families have been cultivating land for years and have even constructed permanent homes still their names are missing from official land records. It has also come to light that some of the original allottees no longer live in those areas. Further, in some areas, people have taken possession of land without even completing the legal formalities which has further complicated the matter. In the wake of persistent challenges, CM Adityanath stressed on the need to explore alternative legal mechanisms in light of the repeal of the Government Grant Act in 2018. He has directed the officials to explore new provisions within the existing legal framework to resolve these issues. view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 15:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
