Land revenue law (case and comment)

The Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 is a socio-economic legislation which was passed in British India with the intention of securing justice social, economic and political for landowners and land tillers on one hand and landless on the other. In independent India, it applies in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana States. It is still applicable in Punjab province of Pakistan. Because of its wider application, the broad title, Land Revenue Law has been preferred in lieu of Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 which restricts its scope and application.

Land Revenue Law (Cases and Comment) is an uptodate and comprehensive examination of rules, regulations, laws and bye-laws relating to land revenue matters covered under the Punjab Land Revenue Act. The Act of Punjab Land Revenue came into force on 23rd September, 1887 during the British regime. It has been supplemented from time to time and has undergone necessary changes to keep pace with the time. However, it still requires modification and suitable amendments in view of growing trend in fiscal policy in revenue and fiscal matters.

There are serious flaws in the Land Revenue Law with respect to modes of assessment and collection of land revenue. As unchecked and unwarranted powers have been provided to the Revenue Officers under the Act, who make misuse of their powers quite often and thus escape from the primary responsibilities assigned to them. As a result of it, the Revenue Courts are flooded with cases relating to partition, mutation and correction of Girdwari and Lambardari etc. As a consequence of it, no attention is paid by the Revenue Officers to make recovery of long overdue arrears of land revenue. The solution is to decentralise their powers on the one hand and put check on the Revenue Officers, Patwari, in particular. He should not be allowed to charge unreasonable fee from the land owners, for issuing revenue documents, for example, copy of Girdwari, Jamabandi, mutation, Shajra Naksh (map of land location) and other related duties, eg, spot verification of standing crops, Nishan Dehi (spot demarcation of land) etc.

There should be mutual coordination between the land owners and the Revenue Officers. It will check the prevailing irregularities in the revenbe system. Land Revenue Rules and appendices at the end contain leading cases decided by High Court and Supreme Court. Revenue formats of Fard Jamabandi, Girdawari, Intkal (mutation), Shajra Nasb (pedegree table) make the study useful and meaningful for the bench, the bar, the academicians, the administrators and the Revenue Officers. The book is extremely rich in detail and will prove helpful for law students in particular.