OPTIMUM UTILISATION OF VACANT GOVERNMENT LANDS
Information about Government Lands in the State of Punjab is being collected from various departments to achieve the following objectives:
- Completion of inventory of Government Lands belonging to various departments.
With the objective of making a complete inventory of the Government lands and properties, an extensive exercise is being carried out. The Deputy Commissioners are preparing a complete list of Government properties falling in their respective district under various departments. This data is regularly being updated with the identification of new Government properties. The data received includes details of the properties which are already in use like the offices of various departments, government institutions (schools, colleges) in urban and rural areas, government hospitals, bus stands, running canals, dams of the irrigation department, forest lands having plantations, lands/mountains belonging to panchayats, residences of government employees, properties under litigation, encroached properties, agricultural lands, gardens, lands used for sports activities and properties coming under municipal limits which are already occupied or planned for specific usage etc. It is clear that sale or other use of most of these properties is not possible.
- Knowing exact physical status of the Government Lands.
With this exercise, identification and listings of Government properties which are encroached partly or entirely or are not being optimally utilized and consequently are amenable to encroachments by land grabbers and the land mafia, will be done. All properties will be physically verified too. The data being collected will be consolidated and computerized so that the property identification and management becomes easy.
- Taking measures to prevent Encroachments.
The properties will be properly demarcated on the site and protected by putting proper pillars, barbed wire fences or boundary walls wherever required, so as to prevent their encroachments.
- Checking & Correcting Land Records.
The properties which although belong to the Government but somehow not recorded properly will be detected and correctly mentioned in the land records of the revenue department. The process will also correct cases where land grabbers have tried to manipulate/forge land records of Government properties. It will also ensure that land records of all Government properties are proper so that no land grabber can take undue advantage during litigation etc.
- Preventing vacant GovernmentLands from causing social and hygiene problems.
It is commonly seen that the lands/properties belonging to the Government, which remain vacant for long periods of time, are either encroached or become dumping grounds for garbage leading to mosquitoes, flies, animals and consequent complaints by neighbors.
- Computerization of GovernmentLands/ Properties.
The database will create lists of properties area wise, value wise, location wise, encroached lands and the properties under litigation. The data base will also have details of the land grabbers who are responsible for encroachments. The computerization of data will also help in monitoring of court cases at higher levels, so that proper follow up is done and an all out effort is made to win court cases filed on frivolous grounds or on the basis of forged documents by land grabbers.
- Planning for future infrastructure needs.
Some of the vacant Government lands will be used for establishing new infrastructure like new power stations, tube wells etc. wherever required in new or old localities for improving the water supply network, new bus stands, new parks, and office places etc with proper planning.
The remaining lands can be disposed of under the Optimum Utilization of Vacant Government Lands (OUVGL) Scheme. These lands otherwise may eventually be encroached upon by land grabbers or litigated against. Already thousands of Government properties have been encroached and in many cases, with connivance, some land grabbers have won the cases against the Government and have got the properties in their names. This whole exercise is to avoid repetition of such experiences.
The revenue generated from the disposal of a few of these properties will be spent to improve infrastructure like better roads, street lights, water supply distribution and sewer network etc. where priority will be given to the town/area/department to which such properties belong.Thus, the revenue generated from the sale of properties is not being deposited in the consolidated fund (for running the government, paying salaries etc. as is wrongly being mentioned by some people) rather, as per the demands of the local citizens, better infrastructure and new assets are being created by the sale of unused assets.