Gujarat Govt puts on hold finalisation of land records of 6000 villages

GNN | Aug 23, 2018, 2:46 PM IST|

• Charges of irregularities and errors in land mapping work
• Stern action against agencies found guilty of laxity in carrying out re-surveying work

Gandhinagar, August 23, 2018 The Gujarat Government has decided to put the process of promulgation or finalisation of land records on hold. The government’s decision comes in the wake of the long drawn out controversy and political pressure from different farmers groups.
GNN learns, the finalisation of agricultural land records of more than 6,000 villages in Gujarat have been put on hold, following charges of irregularities and errors in the land mapping work. This decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar, Gujarat Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel informed media persons.
He said although the land records of around 11,000 villages have been finalised so far, the administration will take into account the objections raised and settle the issues faced by farmers.
“We received representations from farmers and MLAs about irregularities and errors in the land resurveying process. Our government has thus decided to halt the promulgation of land records where re-surveying has been done but promulgation was yet to be announced,” Patel was quoted in a TNN report.
The land re-survey work has ended, the minister said, adding that while land records of around 11,000 villages have been finalised so far, the process is yet to start for over 6,000 villages.
“Wherever promulgation has been announced, we will settle all objections raised by farmers in a satisfactory manner. We will unlock the land records and enter a note about the changes if needed,” Patel said.
He said stern action will be taken against agencies found guilty of laxity in carrying out the re-surveying work.
“We have already stopped payments to erring agencies. Soon, a group of ministers will meet to review the work done by these agencies. If they are found guilty of irregularities, we will take stern action against these agencies,” he said.
The Gujarat government had last year launched the drive to re-survey of agriculture land for the record, the first such initiative since Independence. The state had appointed private agencies to map the land.
The Gujarat Congress has demanded that the fresh survey be scrapped, following complaints from farmers about irregularities and laxity in the process.