Gandhinagar: During the Budget Session of the State Assembly, Minister of State for Revenue Sanjaysinh Mahida introduced a bill proposing amendments to Sections 75 and 75(A) of the Saurashtra Gharkhed Ganot Administration Settlement and Agricultural Land Ordinance, 1949. The amendment bill was passed by the House today.

Describing the legislation as significant for safeguarding farmers’ interests, the Minister said the amendments would bring legal clarity to land transactions and curb illegal land transfers.

Mahida noted that three separate land tenure laws are currently in force in Gujarat: the Gujarat Land Tenure Administration and Agricultural Land Act, 1948; the Saurashtra Land Tenure Administration Settlement and Agricultural Land Ordinance, 1949; and the Gujarat Land Tenure Administration and Agricultural Land (Vidarbha Pradesh and Kutch Region) Act, 1958.

He explained that Section 75 of the 1949 Ordinance allows the District Collector to summarily evict unauthorized occupants from land but lacks a clear mechanism for restoring illegally transferred land to the government. Similarly, under Section 75(A), introduced through Gujarat Act No. 28 of 2015, agricultural land transferred to a non-farmer attracts a penalty of three times the prevailing market value, yet no time limit exists for payment, resulting in delays in restoring the land to the rightful farmer.

The amendments establish a structured legal procedure. The Collector may initiate proceedings suo motu or on an application by an interested party. If a transfer is found to be illegal, the seller must restore the land within three months; failing this, the land will vest in the government free of encumbrances and may be treated as government fallow land for public use.

Under the revised Section 75(A), non-farmers or institutions must pay the prescribed penalty within one month and restore the land to the original farmer. The provision is proposed to take retrospective effect from December 5, 2015, ensuring uniformity with other land laws in the state.

According to the Minister, the amendments will enable faster justice for farmers, deter unlawful land purchases, reduce legal disputes, and improve administrative efficiency. Lands not restored within the stipulated time may be utilised for public purposes such as schools, hospitals, and roads.

Mahida emphasized that land is not merely an asset for farmers but the foundation of their livelihood. He said the amendments would strengthen protection against illegal land sales, ensure uniform implementation of land laws across Gujarat, and enhance clarity in agricultural land transactions.

With the Assembly’s approval, the bill amending Sections 75 and 75(A) of the 1949 Ordinance now stands passed. DeshGujarat