G.O.(Ms) No. 201, Land Exchange Guidelines, 2022

What the document changes

The Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Land Disposal Wing, issued G.O.(Ms) No. 201 dated 10 May 2022 to replace Revenue Standing Order 26(A) for land exchanges that do not involve a water course. The replacement rules are intended to consolidate government land, improve the use of private patta land and preserve the overall government land pool.

Land exchange may be allowed for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes. It is not an applicant's right and must serve public policy objectives.

Who may be affected

G.O.(Ms) No. 201 dated 10 May 2022 may affect owners, industries, higher education institutions and other applicants seeking government land within or near their private landholdings. It also guides the Commissioner of Land Administration, District Collectors and District Revenue Officers handling proposals.

The exchange may be considered to consolidate an applicant's holdings or provide access to patta land.

General conditions

Key conditions under G.O.(Ms) No. 201 dated 10 May 2022 include:

• The exchanged extent is limited to 30% of the applicant's landholding block connected with the proposal.
• There is no separate limit on the total extent or number of parcels, subject to the 30% limit.
• Patta land offered by the applicant must have clear title and possession, without encumbrances, encroachments, litigation or disputes.
• Land already given as open space reservation or under another requirement to a local body or public authority cannot be offered.
• Proposals involving buffer zones, areas under the Hill Area Conservation Authority, elephant or tiger corridors, or eco-sensitive zones must be routed through the Forest Department.

Location and access requirements

For government poramboke land locked wholly or partly inside an applicant's patta land block, the applicant should provide patta land within the same block. It should have access to the highest category of road adjoining that block.

If land cannot be provided within the block, alternative land should preferably be within 1 kilometre of the private land boundary, with frontage on the same or a higher category of road. It must be suitable for future government use and free from access problems, unstable rocky conditions, inundation risk or similar difficulties.

Valuation

Patta land is valued at its guideline value. Government land is valued under the norms for fixing the guideline value of poramboke land.

• If both guideline values are equal, equal extents are exchanged.
• If government land has a lower value, the patta land must still equal the government land in extent.
• If government land has a higher value, the applicant may offer equal land plus the price difference, or offer more patta land to equalise values.
• If replacement land is more than 1 kilometre away, double the government land guideline value and the single patta land guideline value are used.