Haryana Assembly on Friday unanimously passed four bills including PEPSU Tenancy and Agricultural lands (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2017, Punjab land Revenue (Haryana Amendment) Bill 2017, Punjab Security of land Tenures (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2017 and Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development (Haryana Amendment).
Speaking on PEPSU Tenancy and Agricultural lands (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2017, Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu informed the House that compensation for loss due to crop damage caused by natural calamities would now be given directly to the tenant (actual crop grower). The amount of compensation would be given to them in a legal manner and tenants would also be able to take crop loan from bank. The tenant and land-owner would have to file an affidavit and the land-owner would not have to fear that the tenant might usurp his land, said he.
Capt. Abhimanyu said that the passage of the Punjab land Revenue (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2017 would reduce litigations involved in the disposal of revenue cases regarding demarcation, Khasra Girdawari, mutation and partition. litigants would not have to repeatedly visit the offices of Sub Divisional Officer (Civil), Deputy Commissioner, Divisional Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department, and would provide only one appeal against the mode of partition, said he.
He added that the Bills would have larger ramifications in the interest of farmers’ community including land owners and tenants.
As regard to amendments in the Punjab land Revenue Act 1887, the same will cut short delays and repeated litigation in Khasra Girdawari, mutations, partition and demarcation revenue cases. Consequently, amendments would be made in Sections 13, 16, 20, 111, 113 and 118; besides inserting section 115-A in the Punjab land Revenue Act 1887, he said.
The scope of service of summons is being made transparent by making provision of electronic mail services, courier service, fax message by amending Section 20 of the said Act, in case a person resides outside the State or in prison or person living in foreign country.
He said that as per the amendment in the Punjab Security of land Tenures Act, the same will ensure lease of agricultural land to the private sector on long term basis, in such a way that the farmers/landowners are not alienated from their ownership rights.
He added that the proposed amendment in ‘The Punjab Security of land Tenures Act, 1953’ will enable the private sector to set up model agricultural farms, invest in farm equipment, bring new farming technology, green/poly houses. Existing land leasing laws have forced tenancy to be informal, and insecure resulting in lack of access of institutional credit, insurance and other support services for the tenants.
Therefore, balancing the relationship between land owners and tenants and to promote agricultural efficiency, besides minimising absentee land owners, he said.
Apart from the three bills, The Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development (Haryana Amendment) Bill 2017 was unanimously passed by the State Assembly. It has paved way to include two members in a Tribunal consisting of a chairman who is a retired judge of High Court. While one member will be of the rank of chief engineer having special knowledge about roads and highways, the other will be a professional from the fields of law, Town and Planning, Industry and Management. If the members of the Tribunal are divided over some matter, the decision of the chairman of the Tribunal shall prevail.