Ownership rights to weaker sections for houses on 'common' land

Chandigarh, Sep 5 (UNI) The Punjab government has already initiated steps to give ownership rights to those families of Scheduled Castes or other weaker sections who had built houses on 'shamlat' (common) land in the villages.

This information was given in the state Assembly during Question Hour by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while replying to a query by Iqbal Singh Jhundan (Ind).

The member wanted to know whether there was any proposal under government consideration to transfer Panchayat land at prescribed government rates in the names of persons who had encroached upon it.

Replying to the question, Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmapura made it clear that there was no such proposal under consideration.

At this juncture, the Chief Minister intervened to tell the House that ownership rights had already been confirmed on a number of families of weaker sections who had built houses on common village land. ''Those who have been living in these houses for the last 15 to 20 years are being given ownership rights,'' he told the Assembly.

UNI HS PK RAI1910