Disposal of surplus rural evacuee agricultural land

19/1/1979

From

The Financial Commissioner (Revenue) & Secretary to Government, Punjab

To

All the Deputy Commissioners in the State.

No. 2(505)/Policy-Part lll/G-5/ll95-l206, Dated, Jullundur, the 19th , January, 1979.

Sub: Disposal of surplus rural evacuee agricultural land on the basis of possession wef Rabi 1976

Memorandum

The State Government has revised the policy with regard to disposal of surplus rural evacuee agricultural land. The main decisions are mentioned in Annexure I (English & Gurmukhi scripts). One of the decisions pertaining to the transfer of land to a sitting occupant upto the limit of 5 ordinary acres, inclusive of the land already owned by him, provided his cultivating possession is established to be continued from Rabi 1976 and he is head of his family. A Press Note to this effect has been issued, February 28,1979 has been prescribed as the last date receipt of applications from the eligible occupants. A copy of the Press Note (English & Gurmukhi scripts) is enclosed at Annexure I & II .The Tehsidars (M}-cum-Sales/Naib Tehsildars (M}-cum-Sales, should be asked to ensure proper publicity of this decision in each village atleast once in a week upto February 28, 1979, through the Village Patwaris and reports with regard to the same be entered in the Roznamcha Waquati.

2. The form of application to be rendered by the eligible occupants has been prescribed and is being got printed. As soon as these are printed, the same will be supplied to all the Tehsildars (Mahal}-cum-(Sales)/ Naib Tehsildars (Mahal}-cum-(Sales) in the State, duly numbered, for distribution, free of cost, among the eligible occupants. A proper account of these forms should be kept by the Tehsidars (M)-cum-(Sales)/ Naib tehsidars (M)-cum-(Sales) and the un-used forms should be returned to this office after the expiry of the date prescribed, for the receipt of the applications. All applications, received in the Tehsil/Sub- Tehsil Office, shall be entered in a chronological order daily, in a separate Register, duly page marked and bearing certificate of the Tehsildar (M)-cum­( Sales )INaib Tehsildar (M)-cum-( Sales) concerned, recording the total number of pages of the Register ( s ). On receipt of an application, whether by post or by hand, official receiving the application will give, on top of the application, its receipts number and the date on which it was received and the same shall be initialled by the T ehsildar (M)-cum­(Sales)lNaib Tehsildar (M)-cum-(Sales) incharge, shall then record a certificate at the end, indicating the total number of applications received within time. The applications received after the prescribed date shall be entered in the same Register after Tehsildar

(M)-cum-(Sales)/Naib Tehsildar(M)Naib Tehsildar (M)-cum-(Sales), has recorded the above certificate. The procedure for scrutiny and disposal of these applications has already been prescribed in the Punjab Package Deal Properties (Disposal) Rules of 1976...the same should be followed meticulously.

3. The new policy, besides transferring the land to the sitting occupants, as described above, envisages the disposal of the remaining land by way of open and restricted auctions, excluding certain categories of lands.

4. The types of the land which has to be disposed of by restricted & open auction, has been mentioned in part (C) & (D) respectively of Annexure I. Regarding 'Bunjar and 'Ghair Mumkin' lands, situate in blocks of 2 acres or above, it has been decided to get the same surveyed by a team of officers of the Rehabilitation, Forest, Agriculture and Reclamation Departments, and a representative of the Deputy Commissioner, who shall preferably be Sub-Divisional-Officer (C) with a view to recommending which of these lands could be reclaimed for cultivation or transferred to the Forest Department for afforestation. Instructions in this behalf are being issued separately.

5. The worker regarding sale of land has to be completed in two phases. In the first, phase, the transfer of land, on the basis of possession, would be completed by the 3Oth of April, 1979 positively, In the second phase, the sale by auction, restricted as well as open, will be taken in hand and all out of efforts should be make to complete it within a period of six months. You may please issue necessary directions to Tehsildars (M)-cum­ (Sales)/Naib Tehsildar (M)-cum- (Sales) for the completion of the work, particularly, the first phase by the date prescribed by the State Government. It must be impressed upon them that Government would not brook any laxity in this work and, therefore, it would be undertaken as a special drive.

6. The disposal of surplus rural evacuee agricultural land has to be done under the provisions of the Punjab Package Properties Deal (Disposal) Act, 1976 and the Rules framed thereunder. The revised policy has necessitated certain amendments to the existing rules, which are being carried out on a priority basis. It is hoped that a notification amending the relevant rules will be issued within a week or so.

7. Both the policies, the extant as well as the revised have been reflected in an annotated form in Annexure ill, appended hereto. This will enable the Tehsildar(M)-cum­(Sales)/Naib Tehsildar(M)-cum-(Sales) and other officers concerned, to have a bird's eyes view of the changes effected in the extant policy. It is requested that the Tehsildar(M)­cum-(Sales)/Naib Tehsildar(M)-cum-(Sales) should be directed to study these instructions minutely ensure their proper implementation. The work of disposal of surplus rural evacuee agricultural land should be taken in hand in right earnestness so that it is completed within the targets prescribed by the State Government.

8. The receipt of this communication may be acknowledged.

Deputy Secretary

Rehabilitation Department.

Amended vide letter No. 1481-92 dated Jullundur the 20^th January, 1979