Vellore Dalit families await land documentation after 33 years

In Vellore, 120 Dalit families from the Arunthathiyar community continue to face housing uncertainty more than three decades after being assigned land in Ambedkar Nagar. Although the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department—now the Social Justice Department—allotted 120 square meter housing site pattas to these families in 1993, official land records have not been updated to reflect their ownership.

The delay stems from a combination of administrative inaction and a 1994 legal challenge by an original landowner. In 1995, a district court issued an ex parte judgment in favor of the petitioner after government officials failed to appear for the hearing, resulting in a permanent injunction against the defendants.

Residents are currently urging the government to honor the original allotment and provide e-pattas. While the special tahsildar previously indicated that revisions could only occur following a final court judgment, the beneficiaries continue to seek official documentation to secure their residency.