Evacuee Property

The main objectives of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950 were to compensate the refugees who lost their properties in Pakistan.

The Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954 was also promulgated to speed up the process of separation and division of Evacuee share from Non Evacuee share in composite or joint properties by Appellate Officers and Competent Officers which were appointed under the act. Ordinary courts did not appoint these officers.

The Evacuee Properties were administered and managed under the acts mentioned above. Disposal of the properties were done according to these acts by Rehabilitation Division of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Once the rehabilitation and respite work for expatriate people belonging to West Pakistan was over, Government of India decided to end the activities of the Settlement Wing of the Rehabilitation Division. With this intention, all the management, financial and administrative functions were transformed in the hands of state Government and hence management and disposal of Evacuee properties was also transformed to the state Government. For this reason, transformation of all the remaining work regarding evacuee rural and urban lands and properties along with composite properties was transferred under Delhi Administration as per the order of Indian Government.

Government of India also conveyed Sanction of the President to the following arrangements which were made by Delhi Administration keeping in view disposal and management of Displaced Persons as per Compensation and Rehabilitation Act, 1954 and following rules were framed:

Work regarding the management, administrational and disposal of the residue urban evacuee plots, urban evacuee built up properties, rural evacuee agricultural lands as well as houses and merged properties will be transformed to Delhi Administration from May 1st 1989. Delhi Administration shall manage dispose and administer these lands and properties to the best benefits of the Government.

The work regarding recovery of rent (current as well as arrear) related to the properties mentioned above shall also stand transformed to Delhi Administration from 1st May, 1989.

All the litigation cases with respect to the properties mentioned above were supposed to be taken over by Delhi Administration which was pending in Civil or revenue courts, High Court, Supreme Court etc.

1. Ministry of Rehabilitation transferred about 3,500 evacuee properties (built up) to Municipal Corporation of Delhi during 1962-1974 for slum clearance. Transfer was done with the condition that utilisation of these properties must be done specifically for slum clearance only.
2. With respect to the management of agricultural land which is present in twenty six villages of Delhi, it was decided to keep this land safe and use it for the purpose of settling down pending claims after court decisions or in normal course. These lands are not adjoining in all every village but small pieces of land are present in many villages. Jamabandi of every village has updated records of these lands.

Besides this, ministry of Rehabilitation has transferred around 5000-1000 Bighas of land during past years to DDA through Land and Building Department.