Land ownership rights for minorities discussed

LAHORE:Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora Friday met the Board of Revenue (BoR) officials and discussed key initiatives aimed at promoting and securing land ownership rights for religious minorities in Punjab.

The meeting, which focused on strategic collaborations between the Department and the Ministry, emphasized conducting awareness sessions to empower minorities with knowledge about their rights and how to secure land ownership in the province.

The session was attended by the former Minister Ejaz Alam Augustine, MPAs Emanuel Ather, Baba Felbos Christopher, and Shakeela Arthur, along with Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs (HR&MA) Sonia Asher.

The BOR representatives briefed Arora on the Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement Project, which has been rolled out across the province. They highlighted that the recent surveys in Hafizabad and Lodhran have been completed, with plans for additional surveys to register religious minorities across Punjab.

These surveys are aimed at ensuring that minorities have proper documentation and access to land rights. The members of provincial assembly were also informed that the BOR was working towards implementing a new land transfer system, initiative was part of a broader effort to safeguard the property rights of minorities and create a transparent and efficient system for land ownership. In response, Arora emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring the protection of religious minorities' land rights.