Unlocking Ancestral Lands: A New Dawn for Ex-Servicemen and Freedom Fighters in Andhra Pradesh
For decades, the families of India's
brave Ex-Servicemen and Freedom Fighters have held a unique, yet complicated,
asset: agricultural land assigned to them by the Government of Andhra Pradesh
as a token of gratitude. While this land was a vital source of livelihood, it
came with a critical restriction—it could not be sold or alienated for ten years.
Over time, this well-intentioned
policy created an unintended legacy of legal entanglements. Once the 10-year
lock-in period ended, the original assignees or their heirs often wished to
sell the land. However, a subsequent government order (G.O.Ms.No.307 in 2013) mandated a "No Objection
Certificate" (NOC) from the District Collector for any such sale to a
third party.
This is where dreams of unlocking
the value of that land hit a bureaucratic wall. The process of obtaining an NOC
became a labyrinth. Genuine families, who had rightfully inherited or purchased
the land, found themselves stuck. Their legitimate properties were flagged in
the government's prohibitory lists, making legal sale and registration nearly
impossible. They were, in effect, trapped as custodians of land they could not
fully utilize or monetize.
The Turning Point:
Understanding G.O.Ms.No.279
Recognizing the immense public
hardship, the Government of Andhra Pradesh undertook a significant policy
review. The result is a landmark order, G.O.Ms.No.279, which effectively cuts the Gordian knot.
In simple terms, the government has
listened and acted. The mandatory requirement for a No Objection Certificate
(NOC) has been abolished.
Here’s what this means in detail:
Lands – Government Land assigned to
the Ex-Servicemen, Freedom Fighters and Political Sufferers for
agriculture purpose – Procedure of issuing “NOC” dispensed with in suppression
of the orders issued in G.O.Ms.No.307, Revenue (Assn.I) Dept., dated
06.06.2013 – Orders – Issued.
REVENUE (ASSN.I) DEPARTMENT
G.O.Ms.No.279, Dt: 04-07-2016.
- G.O.Ms.No.743, Revenue (B)
Department, dated 30.04.1963.
- G.O.Ms.No.1117, Revenue
(Assn.I) Department, dated 11.11.1993.
- G.O.Ms.No.1045, Revenue
(Assn.I) Department, dated 15.12.2004.
- G.O.Ms.No.307, Revenue
(Assn.I) Department, dt.06.06.2013.
- From the C.C.L.A., AP,
Hyderabad, Letter No.Assin.II(2)/361/2014, dated 29-09-2015 and
31.01.2016.
O R D E
R:
1. In the G.O. 1st read above, orders
were issued to the effect that an Ex-Serviceman is eligible for assignment of
Ac.2.50 wet or Ac.5.00 of dry land, provided that the total extent of land
already owned plus the land assigned to him, shall not exceed Ac.2.50 wet or
Ac.5.00 dry land. The grant of lands under the said orders, shall however be
subject to certain conditions. One of these conditions is the “lands assigned
shall not be sold or otherwise alienated for a period of ten years”.
2. In the G.O. 2nd read above orders
were issued directing that the Ex-Serviceman are free to sell away their
assigned lands after a period of ten years in partial modification of the
orders issued in the 1st read above and all other conditions specified in the
G.O. 1st read above shall continue. In the G.O. 3rd read above, orders were
also issued according permission to the effect that the Freedom Fighters are
free to sell away their assigned land after a period of ten years.
3. In the G.O. 4th read above,
Government have issued certain guidelines prescribing issue of NOC (No
Objection Certificate) as it was brought to the notice of the Government that
NOC’s were being issued without observing the genuineness of the records and
also to the 3rd parties basing on bogus records.
One of the guidelines [para 8
(viii)] of the said G.O. prescribes as follows:-
“NOCs’ shall not be issued to the
third party applicant’s i.e., who had purchased the land from the original
assignees or their legal heirs without obtaining NOC’ from the District
Collector earlier”.
4. Government have received a number of
representations from third party purchasers that they were not being issued NOC
although they were genuine purchasers from the original assignees or subsequent
purchasers. The Chief Commissioner of Land Administration as well as Collectors
have been recommending such cases to Government to relax the condition
No.(viii) of para 8 of the G.O.Ms.No.307, Revenue (Assn.I) Dept.,
dt.06.06.2013.
5. In view of the above difficulties
faced by the general public, Government have reviewed the entire policy after
obtaining necessary proposal from the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration
and consulting the District Collectors.
6. Accordingly, Government after
careful examination of the matter, issue the following orders in supersession
of the orders issued in G.O.Ms.No.307, Revenue (Assn.I) Department,
dt.06.06.2013:
(i) The procedure of issuing ‘NOC’ shall
be dispense with. There shall be no need for obtaining ‘NOC’ in all cases of
assignment of Ex- Servicemen and Freedom Fighters in which a period of 10 years
has expired and there is no dispute on the land with the Government.
(ii) All such cases without dispute shall
be deleted from the prohibitory list under Section 22-A of Registration Act,
1908 and furnished to the Registration Department.
(iii) In respect of cases in which there
is a dispute with Government about the genuineness of the assignment or
otherwise a list of such cases shall be prepared by District Collector and
furnished to Registration Department by following the procedure U/s 22-A. The
Sub-Registrar shall enter the details of such disputed lands in the online
records deleting all other lands in which there is no dispute.
- The Spl.C.S. & Chief
Commissioner of Land Administration and the District Collectors shall take
further necessary action accordingly in the matter.
G.O.Ms.No.279 is
more than just a procedural change; it is a move that restores the economic
freedom intended for the beneficiaries of these land assignments and their
families. It corrects a historical bureaucratic bottleneck, empowering citizens
and injecting clarity into the land market.
This decisive action by
the Andhra Pradesh government demonstrates a commitment to resolving
long-standing public grievances and fostering a more transparent and efficient
administration.
