Displaced 45 years ago, 5 families yet to get ownership of alternative land
Five families from Malhanu village in Balh tehsil of Mandi district filed petitions with the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Petition Committee in Shimla yesterday seeking ownership rights over the land that was promised to them in 1979.
The families, displaced by the Beas Sutlej Link Project, have been waiting for nearly half a century to receive formal ownership of the land granted to them in exchange for their acquired land.
The five petitioners — Shankar, Parma Nand, Atma Ram, Balak Ram, and Mani Ram — were among the many displaced by the construction of a canal for the Beas-Sutlej Link Project.
According to these families, under a state government policy for displaced families, these individuals were allocated a total of 36 bighas. The possession of this land was officially handed over to them by Naib Tehsildar (Rehabilitation) in 1979. As part of the arrangement, the families deposited the required ‘nazrana’ (land fee) and compensation for forest produce.
“However, despite completing all necessary formalities, including the payment of required fee, we have been unable to secure official ownership of the land due to a delay in the sanctioning order by the Deputy Commissioner of Mandi. Although we were assured of getting ownership rights, the matter has been under the Deputy Commissioner’s consideration for 45 years, with no final decision being made,” claimed Shankar, Parma Nand, Atma Ram, Balak Ram, and Mani Ram.
The Deputy Commissioner has indicated that the matter is still pending approval from the state government because there are no official documents or order available to transfer government land on the name of these affected families. However, the petitioners contend that the Deputy Commissioner has the authority to grant ownership rights under the state’s policy for displaced families, and that the delay is unjustified. They said that the Sub-Divisional Officer of the area has written to the Deputy Commissioner recommending that an order be passed for the attestation of the mutation of the land, further supporting the petitioners’ claim.
In response to the prolonged delay and lack of action, the families have now escalated the issue to the Legislative Assembly Petition Committee, which was recently reconstituted by the state government. The petitioners are hopeful the committee would facilitate a resolution, avoiding the need for a legal battle.
BR Kondal, a legal expert, who has been assisting the petitioners, expressed frustration over the inaction of the administration, calling the 45-year delay a clear sign of bureaucratic neglect. Kondal said that with the reconstitution of the Petition Committee, there is renewed hope that the families may finally get justice without the need for a court case.
If the committee fails to address their concerns, the petitioners have expressed their intention to approach the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, Apoorv Devgan said that “this matter is under my consideration. These affected families could not produce any old official order or any other official records regarding allocation of government land to them, which is a major hurdle to give ownership of government land to them. However in 2018, then DC Mandi raised this issue with the state government. I am trying to find a solution for it at the earliest, but without proper official record, it is not possible to transfer forest land in the name of these affected families. We are trying to find old official records to resolve this issue.”
