Haryana’s New Land Law Allows Blood Relatives to Legally Divide Joint Property

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The Haryana government has passed the Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill in the Assembly. According to this bill, apart from husband and wife, the division of jointly owned land will now be allowed even among blood relatives. More than one lakh cases related to disputes over joint land ownership are currently pending in the courts of assistant collectors and tehsildars. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel claimed that the new law will provide relief to around 14 to 15 lakh farmers in the state. A new provision has been added to the rules to provide relief in cases where a co-owner, who is a blood relative, demands a share in the jointly owned land. This provision will apply to everyone except husband and wife, even if the joint landowners are related by blood.

According to Section 114 of the Act, revenue officers will ensure whether any other co-owner wants to divide their share of the land. If so, they will also be included as applicants for the division.

Under the new law, joint landowners, even if they are blood relatives, must present a settlement agreement for division within six months from the date of notice issued by the concerned assistant collector or tehsildar. If all joint landowners fail to submit a mutual agreement for land division within the given period, the revenue officer may grant an additional six months. If a mutual agreement for land division is submitted by all joint landowners, the transfer of land division will be carried out under Section 111-C (3) of the amended Act, as per the provisions of Section 123.