As Nazul issue gains currency, land worth ₹1 lakh crore may be at stake
After a high-level meeting on Wednesday night, the BJP-led UP government decided to refer the bill to a select committee.
Land worth ₹1 lakh crore is at stake even as the Uttar Pradesh Nazul Properties (Management and Utilization for Public Purposes) Bill, 2024 has created a stir in political circles.
Despite opposition by party MLAs and allies like the Apna Dal (S) and NISHAD party as well as the opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress, the state government got the bill passed in the assembly on Wednesday but took a U-turn in the legislative council on Thursday, referring the bill to a select committee.
Terming the bill draconian and anti- poor, Opposition and BJP lawmakers said after implementation of the Act, a large number of people settled on Nazul land will be evicted. A majority of them are poor and they will have no place to go, the members said, discussing the bill on the floor of the House.
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Soon, the political circles were abuzz with the narrative that the bill is anti-poor and thousands will be rendered homeless. With this, the state government developed cold feet on the bill.
After a high-level meeting on Wednesday night, the state government decided to refer the bill to a select committee when it was tabled in the legislative council, said a BJP leader familiar with the developments in the meeting.
Section 4 of the bill states that state government will make arrangements to rehabilitate persons belonging to the economically weaker section who have been occupying Nazul land or building at the time of commencement of the Act. 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.
A state government officer said, “Nazul land or (such) land with building is the property of the government. But taking the benefit of the orders, passed from time to time by the U.P. government declaring Nazul land freehold in the public interest, a large chunk of the land and buildings have been (made) freehold by people from various sections of the society. After making the land freehold, people minted money with commercial exploitation of the property whereas the government in return got a meagre fee.”
Even under the Government Grants Act 1895 there is no provision to make government land freehold, he said.
“The government land can be leased for a period to a private person or institutions. Post-independence, the government did not bring a law to turn its land into freehold. In 1992, 1998 and 2002, the then government gave an opportunity to the people for converting Nazul land into freehold. Several people got government land on which they were settled. Later, when the state government changed the freehold process, several people moved the court to make the land freehold,” he said.
“The Supreme Court, in an order, had stated that rather than allotting its property, the state government should put it up for auction. Once the Uttar Pradesh Nazul Properties (Management and Utilization for Public Purposes) Bill 2024 is implemented, the state government will not only use its land for the public utility, but will also generate revenue by auctioning its property,” he said.
The misuse of freehold order could be gauged from the fact that in Ayodhya, the vigilance cell of the police had to vacate the building after some people got the building, in which the cell, was located made freehold. They also served notice on a government bank to vacate the premises after getting the building freehold from the court, 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 or Government offices located on nazul land will not be removed. The rights of the people will be protected. The government land will be used in the public interest and development,” he said.
The bill has been referred to the Select Committee. After redrafting by the committee, the bill is likely to be tabled in the house in the next session of the state legislature, said a BJP MLA.