Revenue, Registration & Land Reforms department has asked deputy commissioners to expedite work on all illegal and doubtful settlement of gair majrua land in their respective districts. A multi page letter in this regard has been sent to DCs by the secretary revenue, registration & land reforms Kamal Kishore Soan on July 15 wherein the secretary Soan has unambiguously asked DCs to ensure that all settlements of GM land whether illegal or doubtful or dubious be decided and not to be left in limbo any more now.
Soan’s letter, a copy of which is with this newspaper, reads that the state government has cut short long circuitous procedure of the settlement of GM land which used to start previously with CO to LRDC to AC to NIC has now been fixed upon the CO only who will be solely responsible and accountable figure in GM land settlement matter.
Secretary’s letter reads that CO will do either cancellation or regularization of such settlements but can’t afford to keep it any more hanging now.
Soan’s letter asks DCs to have with them the order of the Supreme Court passed in 1995 in a case of T N Godavarman Thirmulpad Vs Union Of India and to act accordingly.
In Palamu district officials have identified as many as 13, 521 acres of GM land that have been either illegally or dubiously settled with 4,835 people in 449 villages of this district.
Soan’s letter is to be read too cautiously as it does not ask for a blanket call for regularization of all illegal or dubious settlement of GM land cases rather it asks COs to be discreet, reasonable and transparent in disposing of the cases on the basis of the cases’ merit but Soan’s letter is very clear that from now onwards such cases of illegal or dubious settlements of GM land will not be left in limbo.
A final decision on the fate of such settlement is to come and must come without any excuse now reads the text and tone of Soan’s letter as this issue which was to be resolved in a campaign mode was just left to rot in Anchal offices of the COs and the district headquarters too had gone oblivious of it since 2016 but the real thrust to resolve this issue had come as back as in 2018.
Sources said on 3.7. 2018 cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of CM Raghubar Das had resolved to accept lagan through manual receipts or through online till further orders but this too was junked without assigning any reason.