Little gauchar land for maldharis: Activists

Piyush Mishra, TNN | Jan 18, 2015, 06.48PM IST

AHMEDABAD: A survey conducted by Maldhari Vikas Sangathan has revealed that there is zero land available in the state for cattle grazing.

"Of the 40 lakh hectare gauchar land which the state once had, only eight lakh hectare exists on paper for cattle grazing. Of this, 95% has been encroached upon and the remaining 5% is under the possession of influential people in villages," said Geeta Desai, a member of the sangathan. She was talking to reporters at Gujarat Vidyapith here.

The findings of the survey were revealed at a function organized to felicitate maldharis and also to mark the completion of six months of the maldhari helpline.

Project coordinator of the helpline, Bhavna Desai, said that most of the calls received by the helpline were related to lack of grazing land and allocation of gauchar or waste land to industries. She said that the agitation by farmers in Mandal and Bechraji was the biggest example where the villagers themselves spent nearly Rs 1.5 crore to keep industries away from the area.

Haja Kalotara, of Panchal Maldhari Sangathan, said that though the Saurashtra Land Act clearly calls maldhari as farmer, the state government rules do not allow the maldharis to purchase land in Gujarat. This was also depriving the community of getting bank loans.

Geeta Desai said that lack of education was a major stumbling block for the community's development. "The community members cannot afford high fees in private schools, while education in government institutions is not of good quality,'' she said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Little-gauchar-land-for-maldharis-Activists/articleshow/45931680.cms

The Case for the Commons, Issue 4

The Case for the Commons, Issue 3

The Case for the Commons, Issue 2

Case for the Commons, Issue 1

Cops book retired naib tehsildar

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, January 7

The Chhachhrauli police have booked a retired naib tehsildar for registering the sale deed of two acres and 14 marlas of shamlat (panchayat) land of Malakpur Khadar village in the name of a woman of Ghadhauli village. The land on National Highway-73 A is highly valuable.

Deputy Commissioner SS Phulia has also written to Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department, to take departmental action against present Chhachhrauli naib tehsildar Jodha Ram in the case.

According to information, Bir Singh, Ramesh Chand, Jasbir Singh, Fakir Chand, Satpal and Rameshwar Das of Malakpur Khadar village sold 16 kanal and 14 marla shamlat land to Charanjit Kaur of Ghadhauli village. Chhachhrauli naib tehsildar Randhir Singh got the sale deed of the said land registered in the name of Charanjit Kaur on July 26, 2010. The mutation was also entered in revenue record on August 5, 2010.

Charanjit Kaur is learnt to have sold the land to a woman, Khurshida. Current naib tehsildar Jodha Ram got the sale deed registered in the name of Khurshida on March 25, 2014. However, when Khurshida went to the patwari to get the mutation of the land done, he refused to enter the mutation saying it belonged to the panchayat.

In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, the DC said Jodha Ram registered the sale deed on the basis of the old deed, but didn’t verify the revenue record. Thus, he committed negligence while performing his duty.

Sources added the Chhachhrauli BDPO had also filed a case before the Collector (DC) for cancellation of the above-said sale deed under Section 13 A of the Punjab Village Common Land Act. The collector is reported to have granted stay for further sale of the land.

SHO Sheeshpal Walia said a case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120 B of the IPC was registered. 

Trouble for present naib tehsildar too ·            Chhachhrauli naib tehsildar Randhir Singh got the sale deedof the said land registered in the name of Charanjit Kaur that was followed by its mutation in revenue record ·            Charanjit sold the land to Khurshida and current naib tehsildar Jodha Ram got the sale deed registered in her name last March ·            When Khurshida went to the patwari to get the mutation of the land done, he refused to enter the mutation saying it belonged to the panchayat ·            The DC said Jodha Ram registered the sale deed on the basis of the old deed without verifying the revenue record, committing negligence in duty

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/cops-book-retired-naib-tehsildar/27352.html

Over 2,343 acres of land reclaimed

MYSURU, January 8, 

The Mysuru district administration has reclaimed over 2,343 acres lands encroached illegally by individuals and organisations in the last few months. 

The district administration has drafted an action plan to remove encroachment on government land as per which it planned to reclaim over 12,550 acres of encroached land by January 5. However, it managed to clear only 2,343 acres.

The district administration has settled 726 cases of encroachment.

Orders passed

According to highly-placed official sources, orders have been passed to clear all the 4,905 encroachment cases in the district but the process of reclaiming the land was slow owing to different reasons. 

Most of the lands that has been encroached were by farmers, officials sources said, adding that a few private persons had encroached lands for residential purposes or commercial purposes. 

The district administration had categorised encroachment in four categories, depending on the size of the encroached land. There are also complaints of land encroachment around Chamundi Hills against which the Kagodu Thimmappa at a public meeting held recently criticised the district administration for not stopping encroachments. The district administration had take a drive to evict all encroachments in the district by the end of this month. 

Adminstration had planned to reclaim over 12,550 acres of encroached land by January 5.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/over-2343-acres-of-land-reclaimed/article6766481.ece

Village Punjab Common Lands First Regulation Amendment Rules

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ. (EXTRA), MAY 16,2011

(VYSK 26, 1933 SAKA)

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB

DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND PANCHAYATS

Notification

The 10^th May, 2011

No. G.S.R. 29/P.A.18/1961/S.15/Amd.(20)/2011. – In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (c) and (f) of sub-section (2) of section 15 of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961 (Punjab Act No.18 of 1961), and all other powers enabling him in this behalf, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to make the following rules further to amend the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964, namely :-

RULES

1. (1) These rules may be called the Punjab Village Common Lands (First Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2011

     (2) They shall come into force on and with effect from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. In the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964, in rule 12-A, in clause (b), for the words and sign “notified by the State Government.

Provided that : - “, the following shall be substituted, namely: --

“notified by the State Government:

Provided that for the purpose of establishing Power Grids, the culturable area of such Shamlat Land that may be transferred by way of lease by a Panchayat to the State Transmission Corporation Limited, may exceed the above said limit of fifty per cent:

Provided further that ---“.

JAGPAL SINGH SANDHU,

Financial Commissioner and Secretary to

Government of Punjab,

Department of Rural Development and Panchayats

http://www.pbrdp.gov.in/documents/6205745/0/1337243963259_Punjab_Village_Common_Lands__First_Regulation__Amendment_Rules_20116880.pdf