Punjab CM Amarinder Singh approves draft bill for tenancy laws

Punjab's draft bill on tenancy laws, which aims to provide an effective mechanism for expeditious disposal of disputes between the lessor and the lessee, will be placed before the state cabinet for detailed deliberations, an official statement said here. Chief minister Amarinder Singh gave his nod to the draft bill on Thursday, the statement said.

Punjab Land Leasing and Tenancy Bill, 2019, has been prepared by Punjab Revenue Commission. The CM was apprised about the aims and objectives of the draft bill by the Commission's Chairman Justice S S Saron (retd).

Saron told the chief minister the issue regarding giving of agriculture land on lease in the state had engaged the attention of the land owners/lessors and lessees. A lessor is a person who leases or lets out his property to another while a lesse holds the lease of that property and is a tenant.

Amarinder hoped the bill would go a long way in safeguarding the interests of farmers, besides maintaining a balance in the relationship of the lessor with the lessee, as also restore the mutual trust and confidence in their dealings. Saron further said there had been several changes in agrarian relations over the recent years, which have changed the concept of traditional tenancy to a primarily commercial one.

A booming land leasing market has emerged in Punjab, which covers a quarter of the total cultivated area. The lease of land at present is mostly oral, which is a sign of lack of trust and confidence in the existing laws, he pointed out, as per the statement. "The lessors, while leasing out their land, generally do not show or reflect the lessee to be in occupation of the land leased to him. This is because the lessor has a strong apprehension that in case it is so recorded, his ownership rights might get adversely affected and he might have to engage in protracted litigation.

The lessee also suffers since he is unable to get crop loan and claim relief for any damage to the crops,” Saron told the CM. Certain extant laws have outlived their utility and now are impediments to improvement in land and crop diversification, resulting in low farm income, the statement said.

"It is, therefore, considered imperative to open up the farming and agriculture sector to improve investment and technology by liberalization of tenancy laws. This would promote efficient use of resources, occupational diversification including employment opportunities and equity, and would lead to rapid sustainable rural transformation,” it said.

(With inputs from agencies.)