Land Up For Grabs

The state government decision last week to extend land lease to Tibetans by 50 more years has predictably stoked resentment in the Kangra Valley. The decision allows Tibetans to register land bought illegally in the names of locals. In effect, this means that the government is regularising these ‘benami’ transactions. Many Tibetans have bought land in Kangra’s tea gardens and in Dharamsala too—accounting for roughly 30 per cent of the property in the two towns—almost half of which is illegal. As per revenue records, 256 encroachments by Tibetans have come up on forest land. Officers in the Central Tibetan Administration are, however, elated, saying this will make the Tibetans in HP more secure.