Landless farmers to get ownership rights

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 1

The Udham Singh Nagar district administration has started the process of giving ownership rights free of cost to farmers, who have occupied not more than 3.25 acres of government land and are doing farming on it, in Bazpur subdivision. The state government has issued an order to this effect.

The order says people of the general category occupying government land will have to pay 25 times of the revenue generated from the land or 25 per cent of the prevailing circle rates for the regularization of the land they are possessing.

“We have received instructions from the District Magistrate to go ahead with the process of giving ownership rights to farmers who are in possession of the government land other than of village ways, canal route, cemetery and pasture land. They will get ownership rights under Section 13 of the Zamindari Abolition Act of 1950,” said Sudesh Chand, Tehsildar in the Bazpur subdivision.

According to administration sources, members of the BPL, SC/ ST and Antyodaya category families will get the ownership right free of cost. “The orders have been issued to all Sub Divisional Magistrates of the district to give ownership rights to people of these sections who are occupying the land from before June 30, 1989,” said the tehsildar.

The district administration has started the process of listing the farmers under the category. “The proposal will have to be sanctioned by the District Magistrate, only after that the farmers will be able to get transferable land rights,” the sources informed.

Bazpur MLA and Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya said he had fullfilled the commitment he made at the time of being MLA from Bazpur. “On the demand of farmers, technical snags have been removed in the way of giving ownership rights to the farmers occupying category-4 government land. The government is also committed to take decision on other problems of the farmers,” said Arya in Bazpur.