Evacuee property belonged to people who, on account of the setting up of the Dominions of India and Pakistan or on account of civil disturbances or the fear of such disturbances, left J&K after March 1, 1947. File image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad
The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor’s administration on Friday (August 16) approved the transfer of evacuee land, left behind by people who migrated in 1947, conferring the proprietary rights in favour of refugees from Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), and from Pakistan.
J&K L-G Manoj Sinha, who heads the administrative council, approved the proposal to transfer evacuee land to more than 40,000 families who were displaced in the conflicts of 1947, 1965, and 1971, or are refugees from West Pakistan. “This decision will confer absolute proprietary rights over evacuees’ land to displaced persons,” an official spokesman said.
Time-bound transfers
The L-G administration has directed the Custodian department “to transfer the land in favour of the displaced persons in a time-bound manner”. The Custodian General has been asked to ensure proper safeguards to prevent any misuse, particularly unauthorised encroachments on the evacuees’ land.
The administration has issued directions for time-bound processing of applications within 30 days. “The entire process is expected to be completed within six months, providing major relief to the displaced persons,” the spokesman said.
The total quantum of transferred land will be in line with the land ceiling provided by the Cabinet Order of 1954 and the ceiling under the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976.
Displaced families
“The decision fulfills demands of all connected families, which have been requesting for ownership rights for the past so many decades. The Government has always remained committed to provide benefits to the displaced persons,” the spokesman said.
Evacuee property belonged to people who, on account of the setting up of the Dominions of India and Pakistan or on account of civil disturbances or the fear of such disturbances, left J&K after March 1, 1947. Such evacuees may now be resident in any place now forming part of Pakistan or in any territory under the operational control of the Pakistan Armed Forces, according to officials. Earlier, such property was non-transferrable, and even the close relatives of evacuees had failed to get proprietary rights over such lands.
The latest decision came just a month after the Lieutenant Governor approved proprietary rights on State land for refugees from West Pakistan living in J&K. After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the L-G administration had conferred domicile rights to these refugees.
According to official data, 31,779 such families migrated from POJK into J&K in 1947. Apart from that, over 10,000 displaced families migrated to Jammu during the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. Of these, 3,500 families were displaced during the 1965 conflict, and 6,565 families were displaced in 1971.
‘Major milestone’
The L-G’s move is “a landmark decision”, according to the BJP. “It is a historic measure providing much-needed relief to the displaced community. The decision is a major milestone in the quest for justice for families who have long sought rightful ownership of their lands. It is a testament to the government’s commitment to addressing the long-standing grievances of these individuals,” said Pandit Ashok Kumar Khajuria, convenor of the BJP’s Sharnarthi cell.
The BJP also welcomed the move of the L-G administration to “transfer 2,292 kanals and two marlas of land for industrial estates” in the Jammu region. “These initiatives are anticipated to significantly boost regional development and create employment opportunities,” Mr. Khajuria added.
