New land settlement notification to benefit eight lakh people

In a move that will benefit more than eight lakh people in Orissa, the state revenue department has decided to give pattas for Gramkantha Paramboke lands held by people in undivided Koraput and Ganjam districts as well as for Abadi (Basti) plots in western Orissa.

This is as per the recent notification of the Orissa Government Land Settlement (Amendment) Rules, 2010 for this purpose.

The facility will be available to the people who are occupying such lands prior to February 2006.

Gramkantha Paramboke land in the erstwhile Madras Presidency area were meant for homestead use by applicants who are permitted to construct house on these lands but did not have any right to transfer these lands.

The same was the case for Abadi plots in western Orissa. In the absence of pattas or entries in the record of rights, the people holding these plots were not able to avail of institutional finance for construction of house or other purposes by mortgaging the land.

The Orissa Government Land Settlement Act of 1962 had been amended last year for permitting such settlement of land. The detailed modalities for the settlement of land have now been laid down in the Orissa Government Land Settlement (Amendment) Rules, 2010.

The eligible persons have to make applications for settlement of land with all documents before the Tahasildars. The Tahasildars will conduct verification, prepare maps and finalize the case records for settlement.

However, land used for community purposes like roads, playgrounds and institutional buildings will not be settled.

For rural areas, land up to one-twenty fifth of an acre (four decimals) can be settled by the Tahasildars. Land up to one-tenth of an acre in rural areas or one-twenty fifth of an acre in urban areas will be settled by the sub-collector.