Finally, farmers to get ownership rights over 38K acres in K'shetra, Kaithal

In a huge relief to the original cultivators of land in Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts, the Haryana Government will transfer ownership rights of over 38,000 acres to them, fulfilling their long-pending demand.

Under the decision of the government, which will benefit over 68,000 persons in Pehowa and Guhla subdivisions in the twin districts, the ownership of land in 'shamlat deh' — village land reserved and used for common purposes — would not vest in the original cultivators.

The decks for the transfer of the land to the original cultivators were cleared following the Haryana Assembly passing the Haryana Village Common Lands (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2024, to amend the Haryana Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961, during its recent session.

Hailing the decision as ‘pro-farmer’ by the Nayab Singh Saini government, Harpal Singh Gill of the Aabadkar Pattedar Kisan Kalyan Samiti told The Tribune today that it would provide justice to thousands of families who had been fighting for their rights for years.

Officials informed that 'shamlat deh' land was allotted on lease basis to original cultivators under the Haryana Utilisation of Lands Act, 1949, for cultivation purpose for 20 years. Even after the expiry of the lease period, the lessees remained in possession of the lands despite passing of the eviction orders by various courts.

However, the Supreme Court, on September 24, 1986, in Bodhni Chaman Ex-servicemen Cooperative Tenants Farming Society Limited versus State of Haryana and Others observed that the state government might acquire the land and allot them to the petitioners if they paid the land price. It was also held that another piece of land might be allotted elsewhere to the petitioners considering their pitiable condition.

But the necessary rehabilitation measures could not be undertaken by the government. “The shamlat deh land, which has been in continuous cultivating possession of the original lessee, is proposed to be excluded from the ambit of shamlat deh with immediate effect. It has also been proposed that the original lessee will have to pay an amount to the gram panchayat concerned, as may be determined by the collectors,” said the Bill, which will now go the Governor for assent.

Meanwhile, Gill alleged that despite repeated representations to successive governments headed by Bansi Lal, Om Prakash Chautala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, they failed to take any decision on either giving ownership rights to original cultivators or rehabilitating them.

“It was during the tenure of former CM Manohar Lal Khattar that the process to provide ownership rights to the original cultivators was initiated, which has now been accomplished during his successor’s tenure,” Gill added.