Punjab to set up sub-committee to examine tenancy bill

The state cabinet decided on Tuesday to set up a sub-committee to examine all aspects of the proposed Punjab Land Leasing and Tenancy Bill, 2019, which seeks to repeal six existing tenancy laws.

The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, also authorised him to set up the panel and decide on its terms and tenure.

Singh announced Finance Minister Manpreet Badal as the committee head, with Social Security Minister Aruna Chaudhary and Revenue Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar as its other members.

The bill aims to repeal the six existing tenancy laws to bring in major reforms in matters of leasing of agricultural land in the state. It seeks to balance the rights and responsibilities of landowners and tenants, besides providing a process of fast adjudication for resolution of disputes.

According to a statement, the introduction of this "transparent" land-leasing law would allow the landowner to enter into a written contract with the potential tenant without the fear of losing the land. It also incentivises the tenant to make long-term investments to improve the land and get access to credit and subsidies.

The bill has been necessitated by the changing agrarian relations in recent years, which has transformed the concept of traditional tenancy to a primarily commercial one.

The existing laws set to be repealed with the new proposed legislation are: The Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887; the Punjab Occupancy Tenants (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Act, 1952; the Pepsu Occupancy Tenants (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Act, 1953; the Punjab Colonisation of Government Lands Act, 1912; the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953; and the Pepsu Tenancy and Agriculture Lands Act, 1955.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved the Punjab Forest Produce Transit Rules, 2018, and the Punjab Regulation of Wood Based Industries Rules, 2019, to boost agro-forestry activities in the state.

The cabinet also gave its approval to new bills relating to procurement, amendment to state civil services rules, postings in veterinary hospitals in the state, as well as the Excise Act Amendment Ordinance.