HYDERABAD: There is good news for farmers in the State. They will soon get “real ownership” of their lands as the State government has decided to confer ‘Conclusive Title’ on the farm lands.
Conclusive Land Titling System (CLTS) is like a promise made by the RBI for currency notes that it will pay the amount. “I promise to pay the bearer the sum of one hundred rupees,” is the promise given by the RBI on a hundred rupee note. The same promise will be made to farmers to their lands under CLTS.
If the landlord’s land is in trouble, then the State government will pay the money to him. It is a sort of guarantee to his/her land. So far in the country, there is only “Presumptive Title” for lands. Presumptive Title means that the land belongs to the landlord as far as no one challenges the ownership of that particular land. If anyone challenges the land, then ownership will get into trouble.
Explaining the CLTS in the State Assembly during his reply to vote on account budget on Saturday, the Chief Minister said: “In Conclusive Title, the government will hold the responsibility of the land. If the Conclusive Title is conferred on the landlord, the government has to pay money to him/her to the land. This ensures a great protection to the landlords. The Conclusive Title will be implemented for both agriculture land and house sites,’’ he said.
However, official sources, who are working on the CLTS told Express that the State government was initially thinking of conferring Conclusive Title on farm lands. Later, it would be extended to house sites in urban areas, the sources said.
When Congress member D Sridhar Babu asked the Chief Minister to define “farmer” and extend financial help to tenant farmers, the Chief Minister said: “those who possess agriculture land and has a patta for the same is a farmer. We are here to protect the farmers,’’ he said. The Chief Minister, however, said that they would not extend any financial help to tenant farmer.
FARM LOAN CHEQUES
The Chief Minister also said that the farm loan waiver would be taken up in instalments like in the past. “We never assured that the farm loan wavier will be taken up in a single instalment,” Chandrasekhar Rao said. He also said that the farm loan waiver amount would not be given to the banks. “We are contemplating to give cheques to farmers, with principal and interest amounts so that the farmer will pay the amount to the bank,” Rao said. The cut-off date for waiver of up to `1 lakh farm loan is December 11, 2018, he added.
OTHER MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS
A new municipal Act to be in place soon
Dharani website to be launched shortly
Permanent caste certificates to be issued at the time of birth.
Income certificates will go
Reforms in municipal administration to be in place before polls
Around 5,000 staff to be recruited in local bodies
Full State Budget for 2019-20 to be presented in June/July