Anandi Patel’s new land policy benefits both govt, farm owners

As per the revenue rules, any agricultural land owner in Gujarat has to get his land converted into Old Tenure from New Tenure before selling it off. And if he/she wants to do so before that, he/she has to take permission from the competent revenue official which could result in red-tapism and corruption.

The pre-condition to convert the land from New Tenure to Old Tenure is that the owner must be owning the same land for at least 15 years.

Following the CM’s dictate to identify their goal and act upon it, the revenue department had identified more than 66,500 agricultural land survey numbers that could be converted from New Tenure into Old Tenure for agricultural purpose. Similarly, they had also identified more than 1,800 land survey numbers which could be converted from agricultural purpose to non-agricultural purpose.

Sources said that out of more than total 66,500 identified land survey numbers, they have disposed of more than 44,000 land survey numbers and converted them from New Tenure to Old Tenure. Similarly, the revenue department officials have also identified more than 1,800 land survey numbers which could be converted from New Tenure to Old Tenure for non-agricultural purpose.

As per rules, District Collectors have the powers to convert such land survey numbers from New Tenure to Old Tenure the value of which is less than Rs 2 crore as per jantri (ready reckoner) rates. Those land survey numbers value of which is more than Rs 2 crore are being converted from New Tenure to Old Tenure by the top revenue department authorities in Gandhinagar.

Sources said so far, district collectors have converted more than 1,000 such land survey numbers from New Tenure to Old Tenure for non-agricultural purpose. Whereas, the top revenue authorities have cleared 135 proposals of land survey numbers which were valuing more than Rs 2 crore.

While this move of the government will be helpful to the farmers who wanted to convert their land from New Tenure to Old Tenure, it would also mean a significant revenue generation for the state government. The latest move has generated revenue running into crores for the state government.