Negotiations backed by authorities help settle 11 land dispute cases in U.P. village

The results of the pilot project has been very encouraging as land disputes often lead to criminal offences in Uttar Pradesh.

Kanpur: Dialogue is the way forward -- this seasoned diplomatic response has found merit in the Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region where authorities were able to settle 11 land disputes just by bringing all parties to the table.

Officials were directed to alleviate the bitterness in people in the aftermath of a highly localised gram panchayat elections. (HT Photo)

Lalitpur’s Balabehat village was specifically selected to test the novel approach as the 1,542 families living there were involved in as many as 114 cases of land disputes. Besides, there was some bitterness among different families due to local politics.

Therefore, in a bid to get people to work together, candidates who had lost gram sabha elections were nominated as advisors and encouraged to work with the winners. This was done as the officials realised that in village politics, those who lose polls also hold sway over people and could derail the entire exercise.

The experiment -- which was part of the D.Lit studies of the then Jhansi commissioner Ajay Shankar Pandey -- yielded good results. Later, Lalitpur district magistrate Alok Singh introduced a new way to settle disputes under the Gram Sadbhavna Yojana. “We spoke to stakeholders several times. It was like a local panchayat. Finally, some people gave up their land claims. We settled not one but 11 cases just through negotiations. We hope to settle more disputes in this manner.”

The results of the pilot project have been very encouraging for authorities as land disputes often lead to criminal offences in Uttar Pradesh. “Land disputes -- small or big -- breed animosity and keep the villagers embroiled in endless legal battles and wherewithal. Officers regularly monitor the progress of cases but despite good intentions, disputes linger on. Even when the land disputes are settled within the legal framework, one party wins and the other loses. In such a situation, the losing party keeps a grudge that often damages the social fabric in villages,” added DM Singh.

One of the villagers who gave up his claim on a piece of land was Ram Sevak. When asked about the dispute settlement, he said, “All records were made available on the spot. The lekhpal showed me the land records. I did not know that I was occupying land which didn’t belong to me. I always thought it was my land.”

Balabehat’s gram pradhan Daulatram has also appreciated the initiative. “I couldn’t believe that 11 villagers gave up their claims on land after negotiations. This initiative could usher in a new era by reducing crime and burdensome litigations,” said Daulatram.

Meanwhile, Santosh Upadhyaya, Pali’s sub-divisional magistrate, said a team -- comprising revenue officials, members of the gram sabha, and villagers -- was formed to focus on 27 land dispute cases. “All the parties were brought to a table. They discussed cases among them. Things didn’t start on a good note but eventually, several rounds of talks helped us in turning things around,” said Upadhyaya. He added, “Our team immediately demarcated the boundaries and gave the possession to the real owner. Both parties went home satisfied in all the cases.”