Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Wednesday that the prolonged period of uncertainty regarding ownership rights for residences constructed within the ‘Lal Lakir’ has concluded, as he distributed property ownership certificates to households participating in the ‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’ initiative.
Lal Lakir denotes land situated within a village ‘abadi’ (residential settlement) designated exclusively for non-agricultural utilization.
He emphasized that this program will prove particularly advantageous for economically disadvantaged, Dalit, and landless households whose dwellings were previously absent from official government documentation, while comprehensive cartography and revenue documentation will facilitate the resolution of persistent property ownership disputes.
Following the distribution of property ownership cards in Dhuri, Mann communicated that the state has commenced efforts to eliminate the Lal Lakir classification throughout Punjab, with approximately 4,000 villages anticipated to obtain formal registrations in the forthcoming period.
During his address to the assembled audience, Mann stated, “The purpose of the Mera Ghar Mere Naam scheme is to furnish every qualified household with unambiguous ownership entitlements and official documentation confirming its residential property. Our commitment is to guarantee that the residence of every qualified household is documented in the state records and that the household obtains an official document substantiating its ownership.”
He noted that numerous households in rural areas have inhabited their residences within the Lal Lakir for multiple generations, and the lack of documented ownership frequently generates considerable complications for these families.
An official ownership document for a residence where successive generations of a family have resided holds paramount significance. The fundamental aim of the Mera Ghar Mere Naam scheme is to furnish eligible households with statutory acknowledgment of their proprietary interests in their residences, Mann explained.
Through the distribution of ownership documentation to residents, the scheme represents a consequential advancement in bridging the longstanding deficiency in official property documentation.
A property card furnishes a household with the confidence that the particulars of its residence and corresponding ownership information have been formally registered, he concluded.
Within this initiative, aerial drone surveys and cutting-edge technological solutions are being employed to delineate and document property boundaries, according to the official statement. The survey process facilitates the identification of residential locations and property demarcations while simultaneously establishing comprehensive ownership documentation. This undertaking aims to definitively secure property rights for citizens and enhance the clarity and accessibility of property records, thereby mitigating future disputes and uncertainties concerning ownership, as explained by Mann.
Elaborating on the sequential rollout strategy, the chief minister outlined the following timeline: “The inaugural phase will see property cards distributed across 2,295 villages throughout Punjab, encompassing 221 villages within Sangrur district. During the subsequent phase, property cards will be allocated to 1,668 villages across Punjab. The third phase is scheduled for November, with the fourth phase commencing in December,” he stated.
