For over five decades, hundreds of Pong Dam-ousted families in Kangra lived on land they called home but could never legally claim as their own. Generations grew up without ownership rights, making even basic necessities such as obtaining permanent residence certificates, accessing government welfare schemes and securing bank loans an uphill struggle.
That long chapter of uncertainty has begun to close with the Himachal Pradesh Government granting land ownership rights to 131 Pong Dam displaced families in villages, including Jhakled, Khairian, Chappar, Bhatoli Phakorian and Bhangoli.
The move marks a significant milestone in the rehabilitation of families displaced during the construction of the Pong Dam on the Beas river in the 1960s and 1970s. While the project contributed to irrigation and power generation for the nation, thousands of families from Kangra were uprooted from their ancestral homes and fertile agricultural land. Many eventually settled in Haripur, where a colony later came to be known as Indira Colony. Although they rebuilt their lives, legal ownership of the land remained out of reach for decades.
For residents such as Pooja Rani and Nisha Devi of Jhakled, the land titles represent much more than a legal document.
They recall that for nearly three decades, displaced families spent years moving between government offices and courts to establish their rights. At one stage, even obtaining records related to their claims became a difficult and exhausting process. The absence of ownership rights meant that obtaining permanent residence certificates and other revenue documents remained a constant challenge.
Residents Jagdish Chand and Naval Kishore say successive generations lived with the uncertainty of being permanent settlers but not legal owners. They believe the recent decision has secured the future of their children while restoring a sense of dignity that had been missing since displacement.
Naval Kishore describes the development as a proof that long-pending issues can be resolved when administrative processes are backed by political will. For many displaced families, he says, the ownership certificates symbolise recognition of a struggle that lasted more than half a century.
The rehabilitation exercise has been carried out in phases. Eighty-nine families were granted land allotment in first phase and 42 families in the second phase recently.
Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa said long-pending ownership claims were being settled under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act to ensure eligible families receive land without legal complications.
Besides, the state government has also announced financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh for every eligible family receiving land rights to help them construct permanent houses.
Bairwa said the absence of land ownership had prevented many families from accessing basic services and welfare benefits for years. With legal titles now in hand, they will be able to obtain Himachal domicile and other essential revenue documents more easily. The ownership will also make them eligible for institutional bank loans, agricultural subsidies and a range of government welfare schemes that previously remained beyond their reach.