By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 11 Oct: The Uttarakhand Government will soon implement a new Revenue Code in the state. Efforts to finalise the new Revenue Code have been underway for the past five years. It is now being claimed that the draft of the new revenue code bill is now in the final stage of preparation. The committee is making efforts to submit the report to the government by the end of next month. The committee constituted for the Revenue Code has handed over the responsibility of preparing its draft to the Board of Revenue (Rajasva Parishad).
Drafts were made several times over the past few years in the state but they were never finalised. The draft making had gathered pace under the then Chairman of Uttarakhand Revenue Council and former Chief Secretary Om Prakash, who had taken a keen interest in the preparation. On his retirement, the exercise continued under Radha Raturi and then Manisha Panwar.
Sources add that there have been several changes from draft to draft of the new Revenue Code and is yet to be finalised. In fact, the tenure of the committee formed in this regard has been extended till 31 December. This code is being prepared by integrating various land laws and revenue systems applicable in the state and is being prepared as a roadmap for the next 50 years.
The new Revenue Code will replace the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Destruction and Land System Act) 1950 and Land Revenue Act which are currently in force in the state. Apart from this, some other Acts are also in vogue. All these Acts are in force since the time when Uttarakhand was part of undivided Uttar Pradesh. After the formation of the state, some minor changes were made and from time to time, some sub-sections were added to these Acts, but the state could not fully form its own revenue code, even as the parent state Uttar Pradesh has already abolished the old laws and has already implemented its revenue code in the year 2013. The new revenue code will merge all the Acts applicable in the state.
The Board of Revenue has already prepared its draft and submitted it to the committee. After brainstorming at the highest level, it was decided that some amendments were necessary in this draft keeping in mind the new emerging circumstances. The recommendations of the high level committee formed to study and examine land laws are also to be included in the proposed new code.
Apart from the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Settlement Act) 1950 and Land Revenue Act, some special acts including the Jaunsar Bawar Pargana (District Dehradun) Revenue Officers (Privileges) Act 1958, Jaunsar Bawar Zamindari Abolition and Land Settlement Act 1956 along with some other land laws are also in operation in parts of the state.
Through the new Revenue Code, proper information about all the land laws of the state will be available at one place. The draft is being prepared keeping in view long term needs of the state. It is ironic however, that while UP has replaced several of its archaic laws, those laws are still in vogue in Uttarakhand.
