Decades on, 41 Dalit families in Dharamsala await land ownership rights

As many as 41 Dalit families belonging to the Balmiki community in Dharamsala are still awaiting proprietary rights to the residential plots they have inhabited for several decades.

These plots were originally allotted to them in the 1960s by Partap Singh Kairon, the then Chief Minister of the undivided Punjab. However, after the reorganisation of states and the formation of Himachal Pradesh in 1966, the new state government failed to address their longstanding demand for ownership rights.

The families have been living on government land bearing ‘’khasra’’ number 3362/1013, measuring 5,113.87 square metres. Over the years, they have constructed permanent (pucca) houses on the land, and some of them are now of the second generation. Despite this, they do not hold any legal title to the land.

The issue was recently taken up with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu by Devinder Jaggi, former Mayor of Dharamsala, who urged the government to grant ownership rights to the Balmiki families, who have now lived on the land for over 60 years.

“I have urged the Chief Minister to resolve this decades-old issue and grant ownership rights. It will provide permanent housing security to these families and mark a landmark step towards social justice for the Balmiki community in the hill state,” said Jaggi.

In response, the Chief Minister has directed the District Magistrate of Kangra, Hemraj Bairwa to look into the matter and take appropriate action.

Speaking to The Tribune, Bairwa confirmed that the issue had recently come to his attention. “This is a long-pending matter. I have taken it up with the government and am hopeful that proprietary rights will soon be granted to the current occupants of these residential plots,” he said.

Bairwa has forwarded his recommendations to the Additional Chief Secretary and Finance Commissioner (Revenue) for approval of land regularisation and expansion of the Dalit colonies.