G.O. (Ms.) No. 426, Land Transfer and Land Alienation

What it governs

The Revenue (LD 4) Department's G.O. (Ms.) No. 426 governs the administrative process for scrutinising and deciding land transfer and land alienation proposals sent by District Collectors. Its purpose is to speed up processing without reducing the quality of scrutiny at any level.

The government issued the procedure after a meeting convened by the Secretary, Revenue Department, on 4 September 2014. Senior representatives of land administration, rural development and panchayat raj, public works, municipal administration and water supply, and animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries participated.

Who is affected

G.O. (Ms.) No. 426 primarily affects District Collectors, district heads of departments, the Commissioner of Land Administration, the Revenue Department and other government departments whose land or concurrence is involved.

For property buyers or owners, the document does not identify or approve the transfer or alienation of any particular parcel of land. Its relevance is procedural, because it explains how government proposals of this kind move through district and State level scrutiny.

Key provisions

• District Collectors must obtain the concurrence of the relevant district head of department before sending a proposal to the Commissioner of Land Administration.
• The Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Land Administration must scrutinise the proposal, confirm its correctness and send it to the Revenue Department. A copy must also go to any relevant head of department whose concurrence or remarks are needed.
• A Secretariat level committee is formed with heads of relevant major departments. The Revenue Secretary is the Chairman, and the Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Land Administration is the Convener and Member Secretary.
• A head of any other department whose land is proposed for transfer may be invited as a special invitee.
• The committee must meet at least once a month, or earlier when necessary.
• The committee may approve a proposal with or without conditions, or request further field clarification.
• Clarifications must be obtained from the District Collector through the Commissioner of Land Administration. The clarified matter is then placed before the committee again as a fresh proposal.
• After committee approval, the proposal need not be sent separately to the concerned administrative department in the Secretariat for clearance. It goes to the Finance Department where required, followed by circulation through the Secretary and Minister of the concerned department with the committee minutes enclosed.