HP minister pushes for FCA suspension to allocate Nautor land to landless tribals
The suspension of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) would allow land to be allocated to landless tribal individuals in Himachal Pradesh under the Nautor rule
Meets Union tribal affairs minister Juyal Oram in New Delhi to discuss the Act’s suspension which will allow land to be allocated to landless tribals under the Nautor rule

State revenue, horticulture and tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi met Union tribal affairs minister Juyal Oram in New Delhi to discuss the suspension of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) that will allow land to be allocated to landless tribals under the Nautor rule.
Negi emphasised that restoring Nautor land would help stop migration from border areas in tribal zones and support economic stability.
Nautor land refers to wasteland owned by the central government, located outside towns and designated as protected forests, but allocated for use with approval of competent authority.
Negi also raised concerns about various issues in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal areas, including speeding up central government projects and addressing migration from border regions during the meeting on Tuesday. Minister Oram assured all possible support for the state.
Proposal pending with governor’s office for 2 years
The issue of FCA suspension has become a point of contention between the revenue minister and governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. Negi has been vocal over the delay in approval, stating that the proposal had been pending with the Raj Bhawan for nearly two years. There are currently 12,742 cases awaiting Nautor land allocation in the state.
The governor had recently clarified his stance, stating that he had not rejected the proposal but raised some questions. He had assured that once these concerns were addressed, the issue could move forward.
Negi has been pressing for the Act’s suspension, citing that tribal areas lack industries, jobs and resources. He has argued that in the past, providing land under the Nautor laws helped tribal families create orchards, resulting in economic stability and prosperity.
Nautor rule: Tracing its history
The Nautor rule, introduced in 1968, originally allowed landless individuals to receive up to 20 bighas of land with minimal taxes. This rule benefited thousands of landless people in the state, particularly in tribal areas.
But in 1980, the FCA was implemented, halting Nautor land allocation nationwide. However, it continued in tribal areas for a long period of time. Later, the Supreme Court directed strict implementation of the Act across the country, stopping all Nautor land allotment in tribal areas as well.
In 2014, the then Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, under chief minister Virbhadra Singh, passed a resolution to the governor under Fifth Schedule for the Act’s suspension to provide Nautor land allocation to tribal people.
Initially, the Act was suspended for two years, from 2014 to 2016, with limited Nautor land allocation due to tough conditions. The Act remained suspended for another two years with amendments, but the subsequent BJP government, under chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, settled only one case in 2018.