Punjab Government on Friday clarified about misgivings arising out of the circular published by the State Revenue Department on May 3, 2017, related to the implementation of surplus area or ceiling laws in the State.
Taking cognisance of a media report regarding resumption of surplus land from the developers, Punjab Financial Commissioner (Revenue) KBS Sidhu categorically stated that the news item had “placed selective contents of the circular out of context and misinterpreted it, while quoting unauthorised sources”. Sidhu, who is also Special Chief Secretary (Revenue), further said that the position of law as codified under the Punjab land Reforms Act, 1972, continued to be the same.
As such, the provisions pertaining to the surplus area were attracted only in respect of “agricultural land or land used for purposes of subservient thereto”, he clarified.
Clarifying the issue, Sidhu revealed that neither any amendment had been effected nor there was any move on the anvil to change this basic position. In any case, land used for non-agricultural purposes like industrial use, development of residential or industrial colonies and townships and educational institutions continued to be out of the purview of this enactment, if permission for the change of land use had been obtained from the Competent Authority, even if the quantum of area held in the name of any single legal entity exceeded the permissible area stipulated under the law for agricultural purposes, he said.
Sidhu further stated that the implication in the news that the Government was keen to retrieve land from promoters who had failed to implement mega-projects was highly misleading and mischievous.
He emphasised that circular merely reiterated the enabling provision effected through an amendment in 2011, under which any person who acquired agricultural land in excess of the permissible area but intended to be put it for non-agricultural use, such as residential, commercial or institutional, had a one-year window to get such change of land use effected, without attracting provisions of the Punjab land Reforms Act, 1972.
Appealing to all concerned not to be alarmed in this respect, the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) asked any person, who was being mislead by the lower revenue staff, to bring the matter to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner or District Collector or to the notice of Office of Financial Commissioner, Revenue.