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LAHORE, Nov 29 (APP):Provincial Minister for Minorities Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora met the Board of Revenue (BoR) officials here on Friday to discuss key initiatives aimed at promoting and securing the land ownership rights for religious minorities in Punjab.
The meeting, which focused on strategic collaborations between the Department and 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, Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) Emanuel Ather, Baba Felbos Christopher, and Shakeela Arthur, along with Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs (HR&MA) Sonia Asher.
During the meeting, BOR representatives briefed Minister Arora about 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, Minister Arora emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring the protection of religious minorities’ land rights. He shared that the department of HR&MA is set to launch a compreqhensive five-year strategic plan specifically designed to protect and promote the land ownership rights of religious minorities. This plan will also include measures to address the further issues.
He reiterated the importance of public awareness campaigns and outreach programs to educate minorities on their rights and the procedures for land registration. He urged the BOR to continue their efforts and enhance coordination with relevant government departments to ensure that minorities are fully informed about their entitlements.
He expressed his gratitude to the BOR for their ongoing work and assured that the provincial government would provide full support to ensure the success of these initiatives, which will ultimately empower minorities and improve their socio-economic conditions in the province.
Ex minister Ejaz Alam Augustine hoped that this meeting marks a significant step forward in ensuring that religious minorities in Punjab can access and benefit from land ownership, a vital component of economic stability and security. Secretary HR &MA Ali Bahadur Qazi, DS Minorities Aisha Yaseen, Miss Tajwar, Gender Specialist at PULSE-BOR, Malik Waseem Swan, Social Safeguard Specialist at PULSE-BOR, and Muneeb Sohail, CE Manager at PULSE-BOR were also present in the meeting.