After years of living without formal ownership rights, 1,645 families displaced from Pakistan are set to receive legal ownership of land in Uttar Pradesh as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath distributes ‘bhumidhari’ certificates during a programme in Bijnor today.
The event, to be held at Alampur Gaunri in Afzalgarh and Dhampur, marks a significant step in the state’s continuing effort to rehabilitate displaced and underprivileged communities. Along with the Pakistan-displaced families, 50 former servicemen and leaseholders will also receive land ownership certificates.
The initiative forms part of the Uttar Pradesh government’s broader push to provide legal recognition, security and access to welfare benefits for communities that have long remained on the margins. By granting ownership rights, the government aims to strengthen beneficiaries’ access to public services, development schemes and economic opportunities while providing greater stability for future generations.
For many of the families, the certificates represent more than a legal document. They signify recognition, permanence and a measure of certainty after years of displacement and settlement away from their original homes.
Welfare Benefits Beyond Land Ownership
The Bijnor programme will also feature the distribution of allocation letters, sanction letters and financial assistance cheques to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan.
Through these initiatives, the government seeks to address housing needs while encouraging self-employment and entrepreneurship among young beneficiaries. The schemes form part of a wider development strategy that combines welfare support with economic empowerment.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also inaugurate the Vidur Prerna Café, a community initiative run by women associated with Self-Help Groups and Common Service Centres. The café aims to create livelihood opportunities for women while encouraging greater participation in local economic activity.
Part of a Wider Rehabilitation Strategy
The distribution of land ownership rights in Bijnor follows a series of similar measures undertaken by the state government in recent months.
In April, the Chief Minister distributed land ownership certificates to 331 families displaced from Bangladesh in Lakhimpur Kheri. At another programme in Chandan Chowki in Palia, the government allotted land title deeds to 2,350 families in eastern Uttar Pradesh affected by river erosion and to 4,356 members of the Tharu community.
Earlier, in March, during a programme in Semrahna Gram Panchayat of Bahraich district, the state government transferred more than ₹21.55 crore to 118 beneficiaries of Bharthapur village. Each beneficiary received assistance worth ₹15 lakh towards rehabilitation, agricultural land and other assets. The government also distributed houses under the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme, toilets and residential land leases to 136 families.
A Long-Awaited Recognition
The Bijnor programme underscores the growing importance being placed on land ownership as a tool for rehabilitation and social inclusion. For the 1,645 families set to receive certificates on Monday, the event represents a long-awaited transition from displacement to recognised ownership.
More broadly, the initiative reflects the state’s continuing effort to address rehabilitation challenges through legal recognition, welfare support and economic opportunities, giving displaced families a stronger foundation on which to build their future.