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Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 28
Signalling departmental action against officials responsible for leasing out panchayat land at arbitrary rates, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa has sought a detailed report within 10 days on all earnings in the past five years.
The state has around 1.5 lakh acres of village common land, a large part of which is used for cultivation.
Panchayat land is given to farmers on lease following an auction by Block Development and Panchayat Officers and District Development and Panchayat Officers concerned.
Bajwa said, “I have sought figures of financial returns from the common land being used for agriculture in all districts. Preliminary information indicates that there was no uniformity in charges for giving land on lease for agriculture.”
Bhartiya Kisan Union president Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “Leaders played a questionable role in the auction of panchayat land. The auction rates were often managed to favour the leader or his persons at different places. The difference in rates, even in same districts, is worth looking into.”
Bajwa said there were panchayat lands that were fetching as much as Rs 30,000 per acre. At the same time there were reports of 10 acres of plot, in the same area, fetching merely Rs 1 lakh. Uniform rates, keeping in mind the existing rates, would be a good source of revenue generation for the department.
The department will also compile the data on the panchayati land that has been encroached upon at different places. As per the existing orders, villages that have more than 10 acres of common (shamlat) land will use at least one-third of it for growing long-rotation, fruit-bearing or medicinal trees.
A senior official said, “Besides a justified uniformity in charges, the issue of illegal occupation of the shamlat by the powerful is also important. There are a number of cases showing active connivance of even government officials in misinterpretation of rules to favour the land mafia.”
QUOTE
I have sought figures of financial returns from the common land being used for agriculture. Preliminary information indicates that there was no uniformity in charges for giving land on lease for agriculture. — Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Minister
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