Content Page Nos

The Gazette of India

Extraordinary

Part I - Section I

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

No. 15 NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2008/PAUSA 19, 1929
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

(Department of Land Resources)

RESOLUTION

New Delhi, the 9^th January, 2008

Subject: Constitution of the “Committee on State Agrarian Relations and the Unfinished Task in Land Reforms”
No.21013/4/2007-LRD – Good governance in land administration and effective management of agrarian relations are important catalysts for poverty reduction and economic development. Socially just access to land, land related services and security of land rights are of utmost importance in achieving the desired pace and level of economic growth and sustainable development.
2. Land reforms can change the current culture of exclusion so that the poor can gain access to land, credit, technology, markets and other productive services, and become active partners in the development of government policies and programmes affecting their livelihood.
3. With a view to looking into the unfinished task in land reforms, it has been decided to set up a “Committee on State Agrarian Relations and the Unfinished Task in Land Reforms”. The composition of the Committee will be as under:
1. Union Minister for Rural Development .. Chairman

2. Secretary, Department of Land Resources .. Member

Ministry of Rural Development

3. Prof. A.K. Singh .. Member

Director, Giri Institute of Development Studies

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

4. Shri B.K.Sinha .. Member

Director General

NIRD, Hyderabad

5. Shri K.B. Saxena (IAS Rtd) .. Member

Flat No.358, Ras Vihar Group Housing Society

Plot No.99, Patparganj, Delhi

6. Prof. P.K.Jha .. Member

School of Economic Sciences and Planning

JNU, New Delhi

7. Shri R.C.Verma .. Member

321, Guru Jambeshwar Nagar

Jaipur, Rajasthan

8. Shri Subhash Lomte .. Member

National Campaign Committee for Rural Workers

125, Samrath Nagar, Aurnagabad

Maharashtra

9. Dr.T.Haque .. Member

Ex. Chairman, CACP)

New Delhi

10. Shri Acharya Ram Murthy .. Member

B-173, Police Colony, Anisabad

Patna -02, Bihar

11. Shri Jagadananda .. Member

State Information Commissioner

Bhubaneswar-751013, Orissa

12 Ms. Neelima Khetan .. Member

Seva Mandir, Old Fatehpura

Udaipur 313004, Rajasthan

13. Shri Ram Dayal Munda .. Member

Village Hatma (Behind Ranchi College)

Morhabadi, Ranchi -834008, Jharkhand

14. Ms.Sashikala .. Member

President, Dalit Bahujan Sramil

Union, House No.01/4878/87/01

Bakaram Nagar, Gandhi Nagar

Hyderabad

15 Shri V.K.Pipersenia .. Member

Principal Secretary, Revenue Department

Govt of Assam, Dispur 781 006

16. Mrs. Vilasini Ramchandran .. Member

Pr. Secretary, Revenue Department

Govt. of Gujarat, Sachivalaya,

Ganidhinagar – 382010

17. Shri S.M. Jaamdar .. Member

Pr. Secretary, Revenue Department

Govt. of Karnataka, MS Building

Bangalore – 560 001

18. Smt. Neeta Choudhary .. Member

Pr. Secretary, Revenue Department

Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, Bapu Bhawan

Lucknow
19. Dr. P.K. Agrawal .. Member

Pr. Secretary, Land and Land Reforms Department

Govt. of West Bengal

Writers Building

Kolkata-700001

20. Additional Secretary .. Member Secretary

Department of Land Resources

Ministry of Rural Development

4. The terms of reference of the Committee shall be as follows:

1. 
   To conduct in-depth review of the land ceiling programme in the country including status of distribution of land declared surplus, continued possession by the rural poor of the allotted land and expeditious disposal of land declared surplus but held up due to litigation and to suggest appropriate and effective strategies in this regard.
   
2. 
   To ensure access of the poor to common property resources, suggest ways for identification, management, development and distribution of Government/ Wasteland to the landless.
   
3. 
   To review the progress of distribution of Bhoodan land in the States and suggest measures for distribution of the remaining Bhoodan land to the landless.
   
4. 
   To examine the issue of tenancy and sub-tenancies and suggest measures for recording of all agricultural tenants and a framework to enable cultivators of land to lease in and lease out with suitable assurances for fair rent, security of tenure and right to resumption.
   
5. 
   To examine the issues relating to alienation of tribal lands including traditional rights of the forest-dependant tribals and to suggest realistic measures including changes required in the relevant laws for restoration of such lands to them.
   
6. 
   To examine the issue of setting up of fast track courts/mechanism for speedy disposal of land related litigation cases.
   
7. 
   To look into the land use aspects, particularly the agricultural land, and recommend measures to prevent/ minimize conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, consistent with development needs of the country.
   
8. 
   To examine the issues related to homestead rights and recommend measures for providing land for housing to the families without homestead land.
   
9. 
   To suggest measures for modernization of land management with special reference to updating of land records, proper recording of land rights and speedy resolution of conflicts and disputes relating to land.
   
10. 
    Suggest institutional mechanisms for effective implementation of land reform programmes.
    
11. 
    To examine measures to provide women greater access to land and other productive assets.
    
12. 
    Any other issues of relevance.
    
13. 
    Any other Term of Reference that may be decided by the Committee in its first meeting.
    

5. 
   The Committee may visit the States and hold consultations with them in order to finalize its recommendations.
   

5. 
   The Committee would make recommendations on the programme of action for effective implementation of land reforms with particular reference to the above matters in consultation with State governments/ Union Territory Administration.
   

5. 
   The Committee may set up sub-groups/ task forces, if necessary, for undertaking in-depth studies on the above components of the Terms of Reference.
   

5. 
   The Committee may co-opt any other official/ non-official/ experts/ representatives of other agencies.
   

5. 
   The Committee will submit its final report within one year from the date of its constitution and the report will be placed before the National Council for Land Reforms for its consideration and direction.
   

5. 
   The expenditure of the official members of the Committee for attending the meetings of the Committee will be borne by the respective parent Department/ Ministry/ Organizations as per the rules applicable to them. The expenditure on TA/ DA of non-official Members will be borne by the Department of Land Resources according to the appropriate rules and practices.
   

5. 
   The Committee will be located in and serviced by the Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development at New Delhi.
   

BHASKAR CHATTERJEE, Addl. Secy.

ANNEXURE - B
Committee on State Agrarian Relations and the Unfinished Task in Land Reforms

Constitution of Sub - Groups

Sub Groups	Subject
Sub-Group – I Acharya Ram Murthy Shri Jagadananda Prof. P.K. Jha Shri K.B. Saxena Shri Ramesh Sharma Ms. Sasikala	Land Ceiling, Distribution of Government Land and Bhoodan Land
Sub-Group – II Dr. T. Haque Prof. A.K. Singh Dr. P.K. Agrawal	Tenancy, Sub-Tenancy and Homestead Right
Sub-Group – III Shri K.B. Saxena Ms. Neelima Khetan Shri B.K. Sinha Prof. P.K. Jha Shri V.K. Pipersenia Shri Jagadananda Dr. C Ashokvardhan*	Governance Issues and Policy of Land
Sub-Group – IV Shri R.C. Verma Shri Subhash Lomte Shri B.K. Sinha Shri R.D. Munda Shri V.K. Pipersenia	Tribal Land Alienation & PESA
Sub-Group – V Shri B.K. Sinha Shri S.M. Jaamdar Dr. P.K. Agrawal Smt. Vilasini Ramachandran	Modernization of Land Management
Sub-Group – VI Shri K.B. Saxena Ms. Neelima Khetan Shri R.D. Munda Shri Ramesh Sharma*	Common Property Resources and Conversion of Agriculture Land for Non-Agricultural Purposes
Sub-Group – VII Shri B.K. Sinha Shri V.K. Pipersenia Prof. P.K. Jha	The Systems of Land Management in the North-East and Recommend Appropriate Measures in Relation to Them

* Co-opted Members

Other co-opted Members of the Committee:

Shri B.N. Yugandhar, former Member, Planning Commission

Shri D. Bandyopadhyay, ex-Secretary, Government of India

ANNEXURE - C
To Examine the Governance of Policies relating to Land and Suggest Institutional Mechanism including role of PRIs and PESA for effective Implementation of Land Reform Programmes

1. 
   ANALYSIS OF TOPIC
   

---------------

• 
  Updating and computerization of land : Survey & Settlement
  

• 
  Consolidation of Holdings : Status and further action
  
• 
  Tenancy : Reverse / Concealed
  

Tenancy, Recording of

Tenancy, Role of

Panchayats

• 
  Mutation and sale transfer of land : Time, disputes,
  

Manipulation, Role of

Panchayats

• 
  Land acquisition : For public purpose /
  

industrial and commercial

use, Role of Panchayats

• 
  Common lands : Status , use, encroachment
  

and Role of Panchayats

• 
  Land distribution : Beneficiaries,
  

survey/division, and providing physical

possession, issuing Patta, role of Panchayats

• 
  Restoration of alienated land : Role of Panchayats
  

2. 
   Major debates
   
3. 
   Opinion of others
   
4. 
   Data required from states
   
   1. 
      Computerisation of land – current position, causes for delay,
      
   2. 
      Coverage of land under land consolidation
      
   3. 
      Tenancy laws and its implementation
      
   4. 
      Progress in respect of online registration and mutation
      
   5. 
      State laws / Panchayat Act and devolution of powers relating to land management
      
   6. 
      Data on land distributed under Ceiling Surplus Law, Bhoodan Land and Govt. Waste Lands with number of families according to caste groups
      
   7. 
      Data on tribal land alienation, restoration and cases pending
      
5. 
   Other information wanted
   
   1. 
      Strengthening of revenue administration
      
   2. 
      Training of revenue staff in using computers
      
   3. 
      Position in respect of PESA
      
6. 
   List of publications/articles
   
7. 
   If any survey is needed
   
8. 
   Questionnaire for survey
   
9. 
   Coverage/sample size
   
10. 
    Methodology
    
11. 
    Visits to states and plan for it
    
12. 
    Workshop to finalise sub-group report
    

ANNEXURE – D

NIRD Questionnaire
STATUS OF LAND REFORMS

Village Data Inventory

State :

District:

Village:

1. 
   Land Use Pattern
   

Sl. No	Area in Hectares
	Land Use	1991	2001	Latest Year
1.	Total Geographical Area
2.	Total Area under Forests (a) Area under Reserve Forests (b) Area Under Council/ Community Forests (c) Private Forests (d) Degraded Forest
3.	Land put to Non Agricultural Uses
4.	Uncultivable and Barren Land
5.	Land under Permanent Pasture and Grazing Land
6.	A. Total Fallow Land (a) Total Old Fallows (b) Fallow lands under Jhoom B. Total Current Fallow Land
7.	Total Cultivable Waste lands
8.	Miscellaneous Tree Groves
9.	(a) Net Sown Area (b) Area under Jhoom (tribal areas) (c) Net Irrigated Area

2. 
   Population
   

Year	Population
	Total	Male	Female	SC	ST
1991
2001
Latest (Year)

3. 
   Literacy
   

Year	% of Population
	All			SC			ST
	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female
1991
2001

4. 
   Occupational structure
   

S No	Occupation	No. of Households	No of Persons	No of BPL Households
1.	Cultivation
2.	Agriculture Labour
3.	Non- Agriculture Labour
4.	Artisan
5.	Business/self-employed
6.	Service
7.	Others

5. 
   Housing
   

S No	Type of housing	No of Households with type of land on which house is located
		Own land	Community/ Govt. land	Others specify
1.	Pucca
2.	Mixed
3.	Kutcha
4.	Thatched hut

6. 
   Land Ownership
   

S No	Size of Holding	No of families	No of Women / joint Patta Holders
1.	<0.40 Ha
2.	0.41-1.00 Ha
3.	1-2 Ha
4.	2-4 Ha
5.	4-10 Ha
6.	>10 Ha
7.	Only Homestead
8.	Landless & no homestead
9.	Jhoom/ Shifting Cultivation

7.