Nagpur: The
Sindhi community is elated over state cabinet’s decision to make their nazul plots freehold. Members of the community say that the government has done something for them for the first time after Independence. However, other nazul plot holders are crying foul as they have been left out.
There are about two lakh partition refugee families who were given nazul plots by the government between 1947 and 1954. About 7,000 of them, mostly Sindhis, are in Nagpur. There are some Bengali refugees in Gadchiroli. All of them will benefit from the decision as they will no longer need nazul permission for construction of a house, or mortgage and sale of their property. This has been a long standing demand of Sindhis since 70 years.
The nazul lease plots of these refugees will become freehold on submission of an application to the revenue department. As per the cabinet decision, no fee would be charged for change in status of residential plots. There is, however, lack of clarity regarding commercial plots and the situation is likely to become clear when the government resolution (GR) is issued.
Virendra Kukreja, standing committee chairman of NMC, told TOI that there were about 5,000 Sindhi families in
Jaripatka who will benefit from the decision. “Another 2,000 plots are located in Khamla, Gittikhadan, Sadar and Mecosabagh. In addition, there are 350 commercial properties in all these localities, including Jaripatka,” he said.
Kukreja, who belongs to the Sindhi community, further said that Sindhis had migrated to India from Pakistan on an appeal from the then governor-general of India. “We were promised ownership of land by him but the government gave us nazul plots on lease. Getting freehold plots is our right and I am thankful to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for giving justice to our community after 70 years,” he added.
Eye surgeon Dr Vinky Rughwani, who was at the forefront of the movement demanding freehold status, too welcomes the decision. “The government has given something to our community for the first time since independence. The fight has been going on since independence but nobody listened to us. We thank Fadnavis and Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari for the decision,” he said.
Vedprakash Arya, former NCP corporator, termed the decision as long overdue. “Now, we will no longer have to run pillar to post for getting a nazul permission to construct our house or sell our plot,” he said.
The decision has, however, caused heartburn among others. Swanand Soni of Nagpur Nazul Plot Holders Association said that it was an injustice to non-refugees. “Our plots were given on lease in 1906 while the refugees got their plots after 1947. We should have been given freehold status long back. Former revenue minister Eknath Khadse had promised to give the same in December 2015 in an year but the government then did nothing about it,” he added.
Soni further said if other plot holders are not given freehold status within 10 days, they would stage an agitation.
