Govt bans sale,transfer of panchayat common land

In a fresh set of instructions,the Punjab government has banned the sale or transfer of land owned by the village panchayats or those reserved for common purpose.

The Financial Commissioner (Revenue),NS Kang,in a letter to all the deputy commissioners has stated the land owned by gram panchayats,or which is reserved for common purpose and is recorded as shamlat deh or jumla mustarka malkhan can neither be sold or transferred. As per the sources,the letter states that if any registration of such land has already taken place,then its mutation should be put on hold till further orders.

The letter also cites directions to this extent given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on a petition filed by residents of Mohali district. The court,while hearing another case,had constituted a tribunal under the chairmanship of Justice Kuldeep Singh,who retired from Supreme Court,to inquire into the sale and unauthorized division of panchayat,government and jumla mustarka malkhan land. The tribunal was set up after a petition alleged that 60 VIPs owned land,which was a part of the village shamlat deh. Selling and buying of shamlat deh land by private individuals is illegal under the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulations) Rules,1964.

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