Maharashtra Government is going to frame a policy to allot free hold land titles to Sindhi community to enable them get ownership of land on which they are residing since the time of partition. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Revenue Minister, recently took a review of the GR issued during the time of Chief Ministership of Devendra Fadnavis about allotment of land pattas to Sindhi community, they migrated from West Pakistan during the partition and came to reside in various parts of Maharashtra. The meeting took stock of providing free holding and ownership rights plus leases to the displaced people. In the year 2018, a GR was issued about the granting of ownership titles to Sindhi community. According to that GR, it was decided to give freehold lease to the citizens of Sindhi community in Maharashtra. For the same, the cut off date was those who had come to India from West Pakistan before 1982.

 

In some cities ownership leases have been distributed to about 40 percent people, but still about 60 percent people of different categories are yet to get ownership leases. Due to delay in finalising the policy, Nazul Department are still treating the Sindhi community as encroachers. Hence, Virendra Kukreja, President, Maharashtra Traders Cell of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met with Vikhe-Patil and requested him to expedite the decision on the matter. Many meetings of the officers were called but due to lack of clear explanation from the Government, the officers were facing difficulty in deciding the application of Sindhi community for grant of freeship. Armori MLA Krishna Gajbe, while placing this issue before Revenue Minister, said that at the time of partition, the Sindhi brothers who left everything in Pakistan and came to India, endured a lot of pain and faced difficulties in their life's journey.

 

It has been decided that it is their right to hold property and lease freehold. After listening to plea, Revenue Minister said a new policy about granting leases on Nazul land will be framed. The policy and the note will be sent to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for study and after latter's nod the matter will come up before Cabinet. Kishan Nagdeve of Gadchiroli, Prem Basantwani of Wardha, Ram Hariyani of Nagpur, Laxman Ramani of Wadsa, Motilal Kukreja and other officials were present in the meeting.