Radha Soami sect seeks nod to buy land in tribal areas

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 16

The Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, has not only sought an amendment to provisions so that it could sell land donated to it by its followers but also asked for permission to purchase land in tribal areas, including land under tea cultivation.

The sect has in an application to the government sought special exemptions in relaxations in the HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972. The government had in 2012 allowed all religious sects and charitable institutions to hold land in excess of the permissible limit under the Land Ceiling Act.

However, the Cabinet yesterday deferred a decision on the request of the sect. In all other cases, successive BJP and Congress governments had avoided tinkering with revenue laws.

All such religious sects and institutions are barred from transferring land by way of sale, lease, gift, will, mortgage or in any other manner. This is the biggest impediment for the Radha Soami sect to the sale of the donated land. The sect has stated that it owns tea garden land at Parour, near Palampur. It is keen to purchase more land under tea cultivation to meet its demand.

However, the plea of the sect could not be entertained as the sale of tea garden land is not allowed under law. The tea estate owners were allowed to retain excess land under the Land Ceiling Act but with a condition that they could not sell it. Similarly, a non-tribal person could not purchase land in Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, and Bharmour and Pangi in Chamba.

Now, terming Section 5 of the HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972 as an impediment to sell land, the sect has sought amendment or the framing of rules under Section 6 so that land could be sold, leased, gifted, willed or mortgaged.

“The purpose behind inserting this rider was to discourage profit mongers from purchasing land under the garb of a so-called religious body and then sell excess land to its advantage,” is the plea made by the sect in its representation made to the government.

The sect has taken the ground that small chunks of land are donated to it but cannot be put to use and rather they have to guard these. So, they should be allowed to sell land and buy land which is of use to it.