A workshop on implementation of Land Pass Book Scheme in selected 33 Tehsils of the State was held in the conference Hall of Special Circuit House, Bhubanewar on 26.11.2005. All the District Headquarters Tehsildars and Tehsildars of Berhampur, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela attended the workshop. The Secretary, Board of Revenue and Director, Land Records & Survey, Orissa have also attended.

Hon'ble Minister, Revenue inaugurated the workshop by lightening the lamp. Additional Secretary to Government, Revenue Department welcomed all participants and called upon to freely express their doubts and suggestions in speedy implementation of the programme. The Principal Secretary to Government, Revenue Department in his inaugural address stated that the Department has taken a historical step as a part of revenue reform process to provide Land Pass Book to all land holding families in a time bound programme. Since this programme shall be launched with effect from 26.01.2006 in selected 33 Tehsils, it was felt imperative to train the Tehsildars regarding implementation of the scheme. This workshop should be utilized by all the participants as a venue to thrash out all the probable difficulties in implementation. Hon'ble Member, Board of Revenue, Orissa, while highlighting the resolve of Government for timely achievement of the programme, stressed upon a methodical approach to achieve the prescribed time schedule. He further impressed upon all the participants to undertake this scheme as a mission.

After a thorough deliberations following decisions were taken.
1. The application forms have already been received by the Tehsildars @ 10,000 each. Since these will be distributed by the R.Is free of cost, a Register duly prescribed by the Board of Revenue shall be maintained for the purpose. On receipt of application, duly filled in, from the landholder/ representative, it should be numbered as per the serial of the Register maintained village-wise and his/her signature shall be taken in such register. Such number and date shall be reflected on the front page of the application form prominently preferably in red ink . This number and date should be treated as the No. of the Misc. case for issue of Land Passbook. A landholder can also apply in a Xerox copy of the application form or by downloading a copy of the same from the Revenue Department Website. http://orissagov.nic.in/revenue/landpassbook.pdf

2. Land Pass Book shall be issued free of cost to all the BPL families. The authenticated hard copy of the list of such BPL families shall be procured from the DRDA/ Block.

3. Rs. 20/- shall be charged for the Land Pass Book to the families other than the BPL families. Since the money for the purpose shall be collected through Misc. receipt, it was decided that Revenue Department will move Commerce and Transport Department for providing 500 MR Books to each Tehsil on emergent basis.

4. Each page of the Land Pass Book should be appropriately Hologrammed as a measure of security. Each entry shall be authenticated by the Tehsildar, R.I. and Registering Authority as the case may be.

5. To expedite the programme, it was decided that all the uncontested mutation cases shall be forthwith transferred to the R.Is for disposal. The cases include not only the cases basing upon the form No. 3 from the Registering Authority but also all such cases filed by the applicants directly in Tehsil except the cases instituted on the basis of orders of Court of Law or other authorities. The Revenue Department earlier, vide letter No. 32976/R Dtd. 20.8.04, has already instructed the Board of Revenue to issue suitable clarification in this regard. Such clarification shall be issued by the Board to all the Tehsildars immediately.

6. Rule 40 of Orissa Survey and Settlement Rules was amended in 1976. After such amendment the period of inviting objections in form in appendix -IX has been reduced to 15 days. The Mutation Manual published by the Board of Revenue has not been amended accordingly. Therefore, the Board of Revenue shall take steps to review the Mutation Manual, Nizarat Manual and any other such non-statutory rules framed by them, to bring it at par with the Government decision of authorizing the R.Is. to dispose of uncontested mutation cases.

7. As a part of the programme, all the Tehsildars will take expeditious steps for settlement of Khasmahal, Nazul and Gramkantha Parambok lands as per Schedule-V of OGLS (Amendment) Act, 1991.

8. Expeditious steps will be taken by the Tehsildars to settle the Bebandobast cases as per the guidelines issued vide Revenue Department letter No. 57677 dt. 6.12.2000.

9. Partition of the joint holding is essential for facilitating the programme. Tehsildars will take up partition of such holdings on large scale through proceedings under section 19(1)(c) of OLR Act, 1960.

10. Some of the Tehsildars have sought for clarification whether 19(1) (c) of OLR Act is applicable to those villages where RORs have been published finally under section 41(1) of OCH & PFL Act, 1972. In this regard it was clarified that the power of Revenue Officer to effect changes u/s 19(1)(c) is abated consequent upon the Notification u/s 3(1) of OCH & PFL Act till publication of notification u/s 41(1) or 5(1) of the Act as the case may be, as Consolidation Courts have been empowered u/s 7 of the Act to effect partition of joint holdings. Therefore, the power of Revenue Officer during consolidation operation is abated. However, Revenue Officers can take up partition of joint holdings after issue of 41(1) or 5(1) notifications of OCH & PFL Act. But such power is restricted to the extent that the partition should not create fragment. For the purpose of consolidation, fragment has been defined as a compact parcel of agricultural land held by a land owner by himself or jointly with others which is less than :
(i) One acre in the undivided districts of Cuttack, Puri, Balasore, Ganjam and Anandpur Sub-Division of Keonjhar districts.
(ii) Two acres in other areas of the State.
Therefore, Tehsildars can take up proceedings u/s 19(1)(c) keeping in view the above in the consolidated areas of the State.

11. Utmost care should be taken by R.I. and Tehsildar to ascertain the status of the family as B.P.L. family. Similarly, the residential status of the family should be carefully ascertained by the R.I. at the time of field enquiry and this fact should be specifically mentioned in the Memorandum of Enquiry.

12. In case, the post of R.I is vacant in a circle, Tehsildars shall take steps to appoint Assistant R.I as officiating RI taking approval from competent authority.

13. An activity flow chart for issue of Land Pass Book indicating the responsibility of R.I., Tehsildar, Sub-Collector, Collector, RDC, Board of Revenue and Government was circulated by the Board of Revenue. After thorough deliberations the flow chart was accepted by all concerned. The Board of Revenue shall take immediate steps to issue the flow chart guidelines to all concerned immediately.

14. The Tehsildars who have been trained in this workshop shall act as resource persons and impart training to other officials and sub-ordinate revenue staff of the district.
The workshop was concluded with vote of thanks to the chair and all participants by the Deputy Secretary to Government Revenue Department.