Haryana Cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal to amend the East Punjab Holdings (Consolidation and Prevention of Fragmentation) Act, 1948.
The Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar lal approved the amendment with a view to ensure better utilisation of land owned by the Government and entities owned by the Government available at different locations in one or more contiguous Revenue Estates or villages for the purpose of institutional, industrial or other development in the State.
“The Act also provides for consolidation of agricultural holdings and for preventing fragmentation of agricultural holdings and for assignment for reservation of land for common purposes of the village,” said Haryana Cabinet Minister Ram Bilas Sharma while talking to the mediapersons after the Cabinet meet.
The need to amend the Act was felt as utilisation of land has undergone a sea change due to its proximity to National Capital, Delhi and there is a pressure on utilisation of land for various purposes like institutional, residential, industrial, etc., in addition to agriculture, said he.
Also, as a result of the amendment, when the draft scheme of consolidation is ready for publication, the Consolidation Officer shall publish it in the prescribed manner in consultation with the Gram Sabha and in the presence of Tehsildar and Block Development and Panchayats Officer concerned in the estate or estates concerned, he added.
Any person aggrieved by the order of the Settlement Officer (Consolidation) whether made before or after the commencement of the East Punjab Holdings (Consolidation and Prevention of Fragmentation) Second Amendment and Validation Act, 1962 may within 30 days of that order appeal to the Consolidation Officer.
A scheme for the consolidation of holdings confirmed under this Act may, at any time, be varied or partially revoked by the authority.
The Village Committee constituted for a scheme of consolidation of holdings shall have not less than 11 members and it shall include all members of the Gram Panchayat and representatives of land owners.
It will also have two representatives each of Scheduled Castes and other non-proprietors if not already included in the Panchayat.
Also, there would be two representatives of Panna or Patti to which the land belongs. Under Rule 18 of limitation for application under Section 42, an application shall be made within 90 days of the date of the order against which it is filed.
Reduction In One-Time Tax Slab On Cards
Giving a major relief to private ambulance operators, Haryana Government has approved the reduction in rates of one-time tax from 6 per cent to 2 per cent of the cost of vehicle to be charged from all ambulances. Four per cent reduction in one-time tax will help to curtail financial burden on the owners. Cabinet Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that this will also enable them to provide better ambulance facilities to the patients. The owner of the ambulances will transport trauma patients free of cost, he said. The private ambulance operators in Haryana had been demanding against the imposition of the Passenger and Goods Tax (PGT) on them by the State Government. There are around 8,000 private ambulances that operate across Haryana including NCR on a daily basis. Many of these are attached to private as well as public hospitals.
Relief For Riot-Hit Dealers Announced
Haryana Cabinet approved the amendment in Section 59A of the Haryana Value Added Tax Act, 2003 in order to provide relief to those registered dealers of the State who suffered losses on account of goods destroyed or lost during the recent Jat agitation in the State last month. With this amendment, the Government would be able to bring a suitable amnesty scheme to cover those affected dealers whose goods were either destroyed or lost in the recent agitation, informed Minister Ram Bilas Sharma.