Gandhinagar

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today expressed her resolve to make Gujarat as the model state in Revenue Reforms, with a call to make the Revenue rules and the process of appeals against disputes simple, fast and transparent.

Addressing the district revenue officers and assistant pleaders at a Joint Council Meeting of the Office of Principal Secretary of Revenue Disputes Appeal and Government Pleaders Office here through videoconferencing, she said the State Revenue Department has already settled several cases, mostly of inheritance, pending for years.

Sharing her vast experience with variety of cases in the Revenue Department, she cited several instances as to how to settle complicated disputes amicably, whether they belong to the owners of farmland or to individuals.

The Chief Minister asked the revenue department officials, as servants of the society, to dig out the pending files in their respective districts and settle the disputes early, within the framework of the revenue rules.

She pointed out that exemption to women in registration fees has cost the government Rs.616-crore, but it is worth it for empowering 15-lakh women. She said the promulgation and decisions to charge premium on jantri rates as significant moves.

She wished the Joint Council Meeting of the Revenue Department becomes an annual affair.

Minister of State for Law Pradeepsinh Jadeja also called for adopting a humane approach instead of casual handling for delivering justice to farmers, poor and the have-nots.

Gujarat’s Advocate General Kamal Trivedi delivered the keynote address.

Prominent among those present on the occasion were Chief Secretary G.R. Aloria, Additional Chief Secretary Revenue J.N. Singh, besides senior Secretaries, government pleaders and assistant pleaders and district revenue officers.

– Information