Delhi Govt To Give Ownership Rights To Over 7,000 Families Under 20-Point Programme

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on July 14 announced that it would grant ownership rights to nearly 7,200 families that had an agricultural land in the mid-1970s under a 20-point programme for landless people. Under this programme, which was launched in 1975-76, around 12,500 landless families in Delhi got land for cultivation. "At that time, there were around 360 villages in Delhi. Around 12,500 families from these villages got plots measuring an acre or less," Delhi's Social Justice Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam was reported as saying.

 Recognised as "Asamis" or tenants, these families were required to apply for land ownership with the revenue department. While some of them were able to secure ownership, there were some that could not. "Left in the lurch, these families still don't have land rights. Considering the rapid rate of urbanisation in the national capital, new housing and infrastructure projects will be undertaken. Therefore, they face a serious threat of eviction," Gautam said.

 People with ownership rights receive good compensation when the agencies acquire their land for government projects. They have access to economic opportunities, while these 7,200 families in 89 villages of Delhi are vulnerable to displacement without any compensation, the minister said. "These families have been moving from pillar to post for the last 40 years. The Delhi government had even convened a special session on the issue around one and half years ago. Still, not much has been achieved," he alleged.

Land rights have been granted under the 20-point programme across the country. Only Delhi is lagging behind, Gautam claimed.

(With inputs from Housing.com News)