Land, houses on sale: Kapurthala village bears brunt of foreign dreams

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, July 3

The impact of migration on Bhadas village in Kapurthala extends beyond the loss of agricultural land and ancestral houses. It has profoundly affected the population dynamics of the community.

Over the past decade, nearly 12 to 15 families residing in the village have chosen to sell their farm land or houses to fund the education of their children abroad. Sarpanch Kulwinder Kaur said these families had primarily sold their properties to builders, property dealers or potential buyers within or outside the village, at times settling for an amount much lower than the prevailing market rate.

Changing dynamics

• Bhadas village has a population of nearly 6,000 and 888 are settled abroad
• A large number of houses are either locked or looked after by migrants
• Villagers whose children study abroad selling their land below market price

“An acre of land that costs Rs 22 to 25 lakh has been sold for Rs 15 lakh. With a majority of students now inclined towards moving abroad and a significant number of villagers being NRIs, the value of the land has decreased too,” she said.

The village has a population of nearly 6,000 and there are 2,353 registered voters. Of them, 888 voters have already settled abroad. Due to large-scale migration, most of the houses are either locked or looked after by servants.

Ajit Singh, a resident, recalled the time when the village was vibrant and people stood by each other. “The village has transformed into mere housing societies where nobody seems to be caring about each other. The population of migrants from UP and Bihar, who have been employed as caretakers for their properties by NRIs, has been steadily rising,” said Ajit.