Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Punjab Government has issued directions to all DCs to prepare a list of all persons who have land ownership beyond the limit of 17.5 standard acres of chahi (land that depends on wells for irrigation) to 52 standard acres of banjar (wasteland) as prescribed under the Land Ceiling Act, 1972.
These orders are bound to have political ramifications in an already charged atmosphere between Jat Sikhs and Dalits. Soon after the orders were issued today, there was concern among the Jat Sikhs, and the matter was conveyed to the ministers and the Congress office-bearers from the community. The orders, issued by the Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Department, say CM Charanjit Singh Channi has sought a report of all those holding land beyond the permissible limit, and this list should be sent to the department immediately.
The decision comes following a meeting between the CM and the Pendu and Khet Mazdoor Union on November 23, wherein the demand for getting excess land with upper caste (Jat Sikh) landowners was raised.
They had pleaded that though the Dalits comprised 33 per cent of the state population, they owned just two per cent of the land. The problem, say revenue officers, is that it is not possible to make the list as all families have divided the land amongst themselves years ago to evade the Land Ceiling Act, declaring themselves as separate entities.
In Malwa villages, there are cases where members of families with large landholdings have shown legal separation to evade the Act. Also, many families have got “benami” land showing ownership in the name of farm labourers. “The issue has been settled 50 years ago. Even the cases of land transfer to non-existent people, or land bought in different districts to evade the Act have been settled,” said an official.
