Cabinet sub-committee under the chairmanship of deputy chief minister TR Zeliang deliberated on the draft Nagaland Land Records, Revenue and Regulation Bill 2022, which is slated to be passed in the State Assembly, besides other Land Acts in the state.
The meeting held at civil secretariat, Kohima, on July 27, 2023, was attended by minister road and bridges G Kaito, Minister Forest and Environment CL John, Advisor Law and Justice and Land Revenue TN Manen, Advisor Urban Development Zhaleo Rio, Advisor NRE and NSDMA Z. Nyusietho Nyuthe, Advisor Industries and Commerce Hekani Jakhalu, Commissioner & Secy., P&R, and Secretary, Land Revenue.
The deputy chief minister (DCMO) office through its media cell stated that the draft Nagaland Land Records, Revenue and Regulation Bill 2022 was to replace the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886. The draft bill seeks to make provision for land administration for different parts of the state of Nagaland and the matters connected to law on land administration that is suitable to the conditions and circumstances prevalent in the state. It also seeks to make provision needed to be made for the adaption of land administration account of different parts of the State of Nagaland while safeguarding traditional rights and customary practices and its usages; and benefit from modern practices of land administration, survey and land records to allow for the full economic use of land as an asset.
After thorough examination on the draft Bill, the sub-committee decided to convene another round of meeting and have further consultation with the Tribal Hohos, advocate general and law department for interaction and suggestion before placing its recommendation to the Cabinet for its decision and thereafter to be tabled in the State Assembly for discussion and passing the said Bill.
Further, the committee deliberated on the Land Compensation under National Highway Authority of India’s guidelines on Land Acquisition for National Highways under The National Highways Act, 1956.
The committee observed that under the National Highways Act, the land owners were entitled to receive land compensation, besides structural damaged compensation. However, the committee noted that people of Nagaland state had been deprived of this provision. It observed that the land owners in other part of the country have been receiving land compensation apart from structural damage compensation, except Nagaland state where only Structural damage compensation were paid “due to some miscommunication” between the State and Government of India.
Therefore, the committee decided to refer thereafter to the State Cabinet for decision in order to redress the grievances of the land owners in the state.
The committee also examined the Nagaland Land (Requisition and Acquisition Act, 1965), the Nagaland Ownership and Transfer of Land and its Resources Act, 1990 and Jhum Land Act, 1974, and decided to have further consultation on those Acts.