Chandigarh, August 5: In a bid to prevent distress sale of land by farmers, Haryana Government has provided an option to the farmers by formulating a Policy to create land banks for Government Departments, Boards and Corporations. Under this Policy, the farmers can first submit their proposal to the government as a potential buyer. Along with this, farmers can also advise the state government for selecting a site for the development project at a particular place.
A decision to this regard was taken in the meeting of Council of Ministers under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal here today.
This Policy may be called the Policy for Creating Land Bank for the Government Department including Boards and Corporations and disposal thereof for development projects.
Three Committees namely, Land and Rate Scrutiny Committee, Land Bank Committee High Powered Land Bank Committee would be constituted for ensuring the successful implementation of the said Policy.
It is observed that landowners at times have to make distress sales of their land especially those living abroad due to slump in the market or due to pandemic, the pressure of the middle man in the market or various plethora of reasons. As a result of above mentioned reasons, the State Government has been experiencing a lot of difficulty in making land available to the various Departments of the State to cater day to day needs especially in providing land for essential services that is waterworks, power sub-stations, colleges and other specialized institutions of higher learning including universities, medical colleges and other hospitals and polytechnics etc.
Salient features of the policy
The unutilized land of various Government Departments and their entities that is Boards and Corporations shall be clubbed at one place under the Revenue and Disaster Management Department as a Nodal Department.
In the Haryana Evacuee Properties (Management and Disposal) Act, 2008 (Haryana Act No. 7 of 2008) and the Haryana Evacuee Properties (Management and Disposal) Rules, 2011, wherein, there is a provision of Sale through negotiation to any Department of the State Government and Boards and Corporations, Nazul land (Transfer) Rules, 1956 to retain it within the municipal limit and upto two miles beyond thereof by the Revenue Department for its own schemes/projects and if not needed by it, it can be transferred to other Government Departments. Hence, a land bank of these two categories of land shall be maintained by the Revenue Department, being Nodal Department also.
In the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulations) Act, 1961 (Punjab Act No.18 of 1961) and the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulations) Rules, 1964, wherein, there is provision of selling land in ‘shamilat deh’ vested in a Panchayat for office building of any Government Department, Government owned companies and Public Sector Undertakings, all the Departments including Boards and Corporations shall endeavor to explore such lands and Revenue Department shall put up all such lands in the land bank for their optimum utilization.
In the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973 (Haryana Act No. 24 of 1973) and the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 (Haryana Act No. 16 of 1994), wherein there is provision of transferring the immovable property to the State Government, all the Departments including Boards and Corporations shall endeavor to explore such lands and Revenue Department shall put up all such lands in the land bank for their optimum utilization.
To prevent distress sale of land by farmers, it shall be optional for the farmers to apply on the online portal of the Director Land Records to make an offer of his lend in Haryana by giving complete details of the land including negotiable price of the same. Further, Revenue Department shall keep it in the said land bank for present or future requirements of all the Departments of the Government and Boards and Corporation and shall transfer to them as per relevant rules/standing orders/ policies including price thereof, if any.
