U.P. assembly passes Nazul Properties Bill amid uproar
Uttar Pradesh Assembly passes Nazul Properties Bill amid opposition uproar, ensuring relief for economically weaker sections and public interest in land utilization.
The state assembly on Wednesday passed the Uttar Pradesh Nazul Properties (Management and Utilization for Public Purposes) Bill, 2024, amid an uproar by the Opposition members who termed the legislation draconian and anti-people.
Samajwadi Party MLAs rushed into the well of the House, raised slogans and staged a dharna, demanding withdrawal of the bill.
Even some BJP lawmakers, the Nishad party, a ruling party ally, as well as Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) opposed the bill.
Parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar Khanna assured the House that economically weaker sections have been given relief in the bill.
The state government will take cognizance of the points raised by the Opposition and the weaker sections will not be evicted, he said.
“Under the Constitution, Nazul land belongs to the government and people cannot get ownership. No person will be deprived of property if these have been allotted by the authority under the law. The people who have deposited money will get their lease renewed,” he said.
“The people who have not violated the conditions and maintained the lease will get relief, their lease will be renewed. The state government has the power to frame rules under the bill. The conditions will be defined in the rules. Educational institutions will not be removed. The rights of people will be protected. The people should understand that government land is used in the public interest and development,” he said.
“People can get their lease renewed for 30 years if they have not violated the rules. The people will have the option to get their money back if they do not want to renew the lease,” he added.
Earlier tabling the bill, Khanna said due to various kinds of development activities of public importance, there is a continuing and urgent requirement of land that can be made available to the stakeholders concerned for its utilization in development activities.
To make land available for use in development activities, the recourse is to acquire land that would incur a huge expenditure and enormous delay in the process, he said.
The Uttar Pradesh government has a parcel of land called Nazul land that has been leased to various private individuals and private entities in the nature of grants issued under the Government Grants Act 1895 and the subsequent Government grants Act 1960. The U.P. government has, from time to time, come out with a policy of declaring Nazul land freehold in the public interest,” he said.
“The earlier policies have led to multifarious claims and have become a drain on land banks. In view of the requirement of land, it is no longer in the interest of the U.P. government to continue with these policies and to permit conversion of Nazul land into freehold in view of the public interest,” Khanna said.
“If the state government re-enters its Nazul land it will ensure that land is available to the government without acquiring land under the land acquisition laws,” he added.
After repeal of Government Grants Act 1895 by Parliament, the U.P. government has suspended all policies in relation to the management and disposal of Nazul land.
A large number of litigations are pending in courts seeking conversion of Nazul land into freehold, resulting in uncertainties in respect of the interest of the government, he said.
There is a need for a legislation that would cater to the interest of the state government so that Nazul land can be reclaimed by the government for public use and development activities that were hampered for want of land, he added.
The state government will use Nazul land for public utility instead of declaring it as freehold in favour of private individuals and institutions, Khanna said.
