In a landmark rehabilitative decision, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is set to grant legal land ownership to thousands of Hindu refugee families who fled East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1960s following religious persecution. The decision will finally provide formal recognition and rights to families who have lived in India for decades but remained landless in the eyes of the law.
A Promise Delayed
Despite receiving land in 1960 for residential and agricultural purposes, the refugees residing mainly in 25 villages of Pilibhit district were never issued titles of ownership. This lack of legal documentation kept them excluded from various government schemes, welfare programs, and financial services for over sixty years.
The issue was not confined to Pilibhit alone. Similar situations were reported in Rampur, Bijnor and Lakhimpur Kheri, where land disputes, missing records, clerical errors, and forest department claims kept families in bureaucratic limbo.
CM Yogi’s Intervention Breaks the Deadlock
The deadlock began to shift recently after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a high-level meeting to review the matter. Officials highlighted that the 2018 repeal of the Government Grants Act had created a legal vacuum, leaving no valid route to formalize land titles. In response, CM Yogi firmly instructed the departments to find alternate legal mechanisms, stating, ‘The law is meant to serve the people, not trap them in endless misery.’
His directive cleared the way for administrative action, reviving a process that had remained stalled for decades despite the refugee families’ long-standing presence and contributions.
Formal Process Set to Begin
Gyanendra Singh, Pilibhit District Magistrate confirmed that out of 2,196 total affected households, verification reports for 1,466 families have already been forwarded to the state government. The administration is awaiting final policy guidelines, after which the distribution of legal land titles will begin.
The initiative will primarily impact villages in the Kalinagar and Puranpur tehsils, including Tatarganj, Bamanpur, Baila, Siddh Nagar, Shastri Nagar, and Nehru Nagar. Many of these refugees have lived in these regions for three generations without any official status.
A Path to Dignity and Inclusion
Granting land titles will not only legalize the refugees’ residence but also unlock access to essential services like ration cards, bank credit, housing schemes, and farming subsidies. For families who once fled religious persecution and crossed borders in search of safety, this move offers long-awaited dignity, stability, and a sense of belonging in the country they now call home.
Officials have hinted that similar action may soon be extended to other districts in Uttar Pradesh facing the same refugee-related land issues.