With the matter pending before The Supreme Court, the Bill on amendment in HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1973 was referred to the Select Committee of the Vidhan Sabha.
Revenue Minister Mahender Singh tabled the amendment in the Vidhan Sabha. However, after a detailed discussion on the issue in which CPM legislator Rakesh Singha, Arun Kumar of the BJP and Congress MLA Ashish Butail participated, the minister agreed to refer it to the Select Committee of the Assembly.
The contentious issue of allowing change of land use of tea gardens for other purposes has been in focus. The previous Congress regime had tried to allow use of tea gardens for tourism in the name of tea tourism. However, the present BJP regime is keen to plug any scope for sale or change of land use of tea gardens that have been retained over and above the limit under the Land Ceiling Act.
He contested that the owners of tea gardens who had not taken benefit of the Land Ceiling Act to retain excess land over and above the prescribed limit should be kept out of the purview of this amendment. He added that the government must retain the powers to acquire land under tea with itself as this land could be required for development works.