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Ambala free-hold: Chitra meets ULB minister
She sought full grant and clear ownership rights to the current landowners and homeowners who have resided in the Ambala Cantt Excise Area for decades
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Opposition leader Chitra Sarwara on Wednesday met urban local bodies (ULB) minister Vipul Goel to advocate for converting the excise area of Ambala Cantt into free-hold land.
During the meeting, she strongly highlighted the critical issue of property rights affecting thousands of families in the cantonment area.
She sought full grant and clear ownership rights to the current landowners and homeowners who have resided in the Ambala Cantt Excise Area for decades.
“The free-hold process should be structured so as not to impose a heavy financial burden on citizens. This is not merely a matter of land; it is a question of rights concerning the homes, businesses, life savings, and the future generations of thousands of families,” Sarwara said.
She noted that thousands of families in the Ambala Cantt Excise Area have been living for generations in properties originally acquired under the grants applicable at the time.
“Citizens and their ancestors acquired these properties in accordance with the statutory procedures and prevailing rules of that era. For decades, taxes, house taxes, stamp duties, and other applicable fees related to these properties have been regularly paid to the government. Despite this, the fact that these families have not yet received full and clear ownership rights over their properties reflects a serious anomaly in the system,” she said.
Targeting the previous BJP governments, Sarwara noted that Anil Vij, the then ULB minister and home minister, possessed the position, influence, and ample opportunity to resolve this issue between 2019 and 2024, yet granting freehold rights was not prioritised.
“The mandate and strength with which the people of Ambala elected Vij to power were not utilised to resolve this long-pending issue concerning Ambala Cantonment. There could hardly have been a more favorable political alignment or opportunity for Ambala, yet the chance available between 2019 and 2024 was squandered,” she said.
