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Punjab government owns 25% more panchayat land than in records
A recent survey by the rural development and panchayats department Punjab has revealed that the government owns 140,441 (1
A recent survey by the rural development and panchayats department Punjab has revealed that the government owns 140,441 (1.4 lakh) acres more village common (panchayat) land than what their records showed earlier. The value of the said land runs into thousands of crore of rupees.
After the survey, the department’s land ownership figures have jumped to a total of 725,571 acres. This land is referred to as village common land - further categorised into mushtarka malkan (common land, contributed by the land owners in all the villages for the common good during the consolidation of the 1960s) and shamlat deh (common land, which was set aside for common purpose when villages came into existence in the early 1900s and even before).
Reportedly, a portion of the land is under illegal possession and was buried deep in the department records for a long time. Now, after further digging, the department has started gathering information on how much land is illegally possessed and whether structures have come up on the land.
The department’s special wing ‘shamlat cell’ created last year, is working on the project. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, on coming to power last year, had launched a campaign to re-possess the panchayat lands, purportedly under the illegal control of individuals or others for a long time. “The department did not know this land since the 1970s,” said an officer in the shamlat cell, who didn’t wish to be named.
Out of the land found in the survey, 44,452 acres are cultivable and 95,989 non-cultivable. The survey was completed last month. District Hoshiarpur, with 63,685 acres (45% of the total new-found land), has the largest area followed by Ropar (15,898 acres - 11%); Amritsar (5,563 acres); Tarn Taran (4,825 acres); Patiala (4,759 acres) and Ludhiana (4,491 acres).
According to the department’s director, Gurpreet Singh Khaira the shamlat cell matched departments’ records with that of the revenue department minutely to assess the gaps. He added that the department knew about the quantum of non-cultivable land, but it has been traced in the records during the survey.
“Now, we will ascertain the present status of the entire land, cultivable and non-cultivable both, and start further action to bring the land into productive use,” he said.
The government is planning to rope in farm union leaders to build a consensus and take possession of the land without having to deal with the law and order problem, an official said.
The campaign ran by the department last year to take back the village common land under illegal possession faced opposition, and in some places, the state police had to use force.
Further, the state government has decided to allow farmers, who have less than 5 acres of cultivable land under their possession to keep tilling after paying a lease amount.
“Those who are tilling less than five acres will be allowed to continue farming by paying the lease amount to the department,” said the official.
Other than leasing out the land for agriculture purposes to generate income for the village panchayat, the common land has also been used to build schools, community centres, ponds, water courses, cremation grounds, roads, power grids, grain markets, telephone exchanges, and even schools, colleges and institutions of higher education.
Apart from the revelations in the survey, at least 44,105 acres of land are under illegal possession of the tillers. It excludes 9,391 acres which were recently re-possessed by the department and leased out further for cultivation.
“It is a very complex matter which will need a lot of effort. We are on the job and trying to bring on record every single acre owned by the government and reserved for village common purpose,” said the officer.
The department is expected to start the campaign again to take back the land from illegal possession. Earlier, the campaign was stalled in June, last, to give way to Kharif sowing.
Survey report
