Himachal Pradesh Goes Back On Allowing Non-Himachali Government Staff And Their Children To Buy Land In The State

Government officials in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh have revoked orders that could have allowed non-Himachali government staff and their children to purchase land in the state.

The government had put out a circular to revenue department officials that would have diluted provisions under a 1972 legislation that effectively barred non-Himachalis from purchasing land. Land purchases are a sensitive issue in the state due to a shortage of land owing to the hilly nature of the terrain.

The issue of land purchases by outsiders had been addressed through the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972. The legislation has recently come under criticism for acting as an entry barrier for external investment in lucrative areas such as tourism and adventure sports. Incumbent Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had earlier commented on the regulatory cholesterol severely throttling real estate supply in the state and had indicated that the laws would have to be simplified.

What seems to have gone against the dilutions announced in August to the existing procedures was the fact that it came to be perceived as facilitating land purchase for government staff and their families alone. “An excellent way to circumvent Section 118 by babus to pave the way for purchasing land for themselves and their children”, the Tribune quoted a critic as saying.

The proposed dilution allowed even non-resident children of government staff to purchase in the state while a normal outsider would remain barred from doing exactly the same. The proposed dilution also set aside rules that required government staff to have served thirty-years in the state before they could purchase land. The Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972 specifies the same thirty year rule for non-HImachalis living in the state but not owning agricultural land.