Land Reforms Bill passed : For the sake of more investment, the state govt will transfer the freehold unused lands to be mobilised for the public interest.

The Bill has the provision to protect ceiling exemption in deserving cases under section 14L of WBLR Act

MP, 21 Feb 2023, Kolkata: The West Bengal Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed in the Assembly on Tuesday to provide an additional option of freehold transfer of government land to lessees for improving ease of doing business and hassle-free transfer/mortgage of land inviting more investment. 

The Bill has the provision to protect ceiling exemption in deserving cases under section 14L of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955. Minister-in-Charge (Independent) of the Finance Department Chandrima Bhattacharya in the Assembly said that for the sake of more investment, the state government will transfer the freehold lands which are lying unused so that they can be mobilised for the public interest. 

The Bill has a provision by which the state can take back the land if the lessee owners do not use the land for the specific purpose for which they are allotted land. There will be a mechanism to maintain surveillance. 

“The move will simplify the existing law and welcome more investment. East of doing business has been given utmost importance,” Bhattacharya said. The Bill will also enable specially empowered officers to make corrections of the finally published record of rights of mouza concerned, on information or on his own motion, at any point of time, under sub-section (4) of section 51A of the said Act, says the Bill. 

The Bill will also incorporate the term “township” in the second provision to section 14Y of the said Act and also to provide an option of transfer ceiling surplus land held under section 14Y on a freehold basis. 

The state will introduce a provision by which the existing lessee of such land for non-agriculture purposes or a person, a body of individuals, a society, an institution, a corporation, a company or a firm intending to take lease of any such land for non-agricultural purpose may apply for the government for holding such land on freehold basis as ‘Raiyat’ which may be permitted by the state on payment of such premium. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/land-reforms-bill-passed-509418