G.O. (Ms.) No. 854, House-site Pattas on Government Land, 2006
The Government of Tamil Nadu Revenue Department issued Government Order (Ms.) No. 854 on 30 December 2006, creating a one-time scheme to consider house-site pattas for people who had built houses and lived on eligible government land for more than 10 years. The scheme was to operate for six months from January 2007, subject to proof of occupation, confirmation that the land was not required by the government, inspection and other conditions.
What the order did
Government Order (Ms.) No. 854 of the Government of Tamil Nadu Revenue Department, dated 30 December 2006, introduced a one-time special scheme for regularising certain residential occupations of government land. House-site pattas were to be issued within a six-month period beginning in January 2007.
The measure responded to requests from people who had occupied government land for more than 10 years but had not received pattas under earlier arrangements.
Who could be considered
Government Order (Ms.) No. 854 applied to people who had built houses and lived for more than 10 years on qualifying government land. Applicants had to provide suitable evidence of their period of residence.
Consideration was subject to these conditions:
- The land had to be unnecessary for government use.
- The land had to be under the control of a village panchayat, town panchayat, municipality or municipal corporation.
- Land reserved for community needs could be considered only if it was no longer used for that purpose and had become residential in character.
- Temple poramboke land and poramboke land surrounding churches, mosques and other places of worship were excluded.
- Other rules and orders governing house-site pattas continued to apply.
Inspection and approval
Government Order (Ms.) No. 854 authorised the District Collector to regularise eligible occupation after examination by a committee headed by the District Collector. The committee also included the District Revenue Officer, Revenue Divisional Officer and the relevant department's senior district officer.
The committee had to inspect the land, consider applicable judgments of the Madras High Court and its Madurai Bench, and obtain resolutions from the relevant local bodies. For land classified as waterbody poramboke, the committee had to specifically confirm that the land was not required by the government.
Land value and limited relaxations
Government Order (Ms.) No. 854 required land value to be fixed using the Guideline Register for applicants who were not eligible for a free house-site patta. The same valuation applied to any occupied area exceeding the area permitted under the existing rules for eligible applicants.
Restrictions on house-site assignment in municipal areas and within Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Salem and Tirunelveli corporations were relaxed only for pattas under this scheme. Certain restrictions affecting Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga and Thoothukudi district headquarters, and conditions concerning transfer of grazing land, were also relaxed only for these cases.
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Common questions
Does Government Order (Ms.) No. 854 give every long-term occupant an automatic patta?
No. The applicant had to prove more than 10 years of residential occupation, and the land had to be unnecessary for government use. Approval also required inspection and an eligibility assessment.
Can I apply under this scheme now?
The Revenue Department described it as a one-time scheme operating for six months from January 2007. The document does not create an ongoing application route.
Were waterbody poramboke occupations eligible for regularisation?
They could be considered only after the District Collector-led committee specifically confirmed that the land was not required by the government. The committee also had to consider the relevant court judgments.
Was the house-site patta always free?
No. For a person not eligible for a free house-site patta, the land value had to be fixed using the Guideline Register. Eligible applicants also had to pay the Guideline Register value for occupied land exceeding the permitted area.
