After 6 decades, 2,196 Bangladeshi refugee families in UP's Pilibhit to get legal ownership of land

In a major relief to refugees displaced from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), the Uttar Pradesh government is set to grant land ownership rights to 2,196 families settled across 25 villages in Pilibhit district.

The long-standing demand of these families is now close to fulfilment following a directive from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently.

The chief minister has issued instructions to the departments concerned and only formal procedures remain. After 62 years of waiting, the displaced families are now set to gain legal recognition of the land they have been living and farming on.

Pilibhit District Magistrate Gyanendra Singh told the media on Wednesday that as soon as the final guidelines are received, the administration will initiate the process without delay.

Pilibhit's minister in-charge Baldev Singh Aulakh expressed gratitude to the chief minister for the decision.

BJP district president Sanjeev Pratap Singh, former zila panchayat member Manjeet Singh and other local representatives described the move as a long-overdue recognition of the refugees' sacrifices and struggle.

These families were allotted land for housing and cultivation by the government in 1960, but were never granted legal ownership. Due to the absence of legal rights, they were also deprived of benefits under government welfare schemes.

The recent decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the chief minister.

Verified refugee families will soon begin receiving ownership documents.

According to official data, of the 2,196 displaced families residing across 25 villages in Pilibhit, the verification reports of 1,466 applicants have already been sent to the state government.

Refugees in more than 25 villages of Kalinagar and Puranpur tehsils stand to benefit from the move. The notable villages include Tatarganj, Bamanpur, Baila, Siddh Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Nehru Nagar.