Aimed at removing gender disparity, the passing of the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 2023, by the Assembly will pave the way for the eldest adult daughter in a family to retain land as a separate unit.
Under HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, a family comprising husband, wife and minor children can retain a maximum of 150 bighas
The law till now entitled the eldest adult son, recognised as a separate unit, to hold additional 150 bighas, taking total permissible limit a family can retain to 300 bighas
Now, the families who do not have a son can also hold 300 bighas, as the adult eldest daughter will also be treated as a separate unit
It will entitle the adult eldest daughter, either married or unmarried, to hold 150 bighas
The Bill, which seeks to amend Section 3, 4 and 5 of the HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, will become part of the legislation once it gets the assent of the President. Under this Act, the land possessed by any family over and above the permissible limit (of 300 bighas) was vested in the government.