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Updated: Mar 09, 2019 02:14 IST

A Haryana government order to consolidate land holdings in Faridabad’s Kot village, around 60 km outside Delhi, to ensure “better cultivation” has raised concerns about privatisation of Aravalli land.

Once consolidated, it would measure around 3,000 acres. Most of it is gair mumkin pahar (uncultivable land) and is part of the Aravallis, a part of the land is also shamlat (village common land), according to revenue records.

Environment activists and villagers claim that the consolidation move is being done to facilitate privatisation of land.

According to the February 1 order, issued under the East Punjab Holdings Act, 1948, the government wants to “take up a scheme for consolidation of holdings under cultivation in the area”.

Land consolidation is done by bringing together several small holdings scattered over a vast area.

Kot villagers are suspicious of the state government’s motives. “This is common land. We know an influential party has bought some 1,500 acres and consolidation is being done for that. The sarpanch had written to the government last year that we will not allow consolidation until shamlat is restored to the panchayat,” said Kesar Singh, husband of Mundresh Devi, sarpanch of Kot.

In 2011, the Supreme Court, while hearing a case on protection of village common land, had directed that all common land, including shamlat, should be returned to panchayats.

“Land owners had approached us and requested for consolidation. They wanted to build approach roads and other infrastructure. So, we initiated proceedings. It was initiated only because we got a demand. This will not affect common land or Aravalli land,” said Nikhil Gairaj, director, consolidation of land holdings and land records, Haryana.

“The hilly area of Kot village falls in the buffer zone of Mangar Bani, a sacred grove. It is an important wildlife habitat.The panchayat department had banned the sale and registry of common land in 2012, but we have been informed that thousands of acres have changed hands through power-of-attorney transactions,” said Chetan Agarwal, a forestry expert

Out of a total 3,184 acres in Kot, about 2,565 acres is hilly where cultivation is not possible. Some areas are also forested and notified under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).

In 2014, the National Green Tribunal had stayed consolidation of land in Kot because of involvement of forest land while hearing a petition challenging a consolidation order.

Last week, the Haryana Assembly amended the PLPA and opened up thousands of acres in the Aravallis and Shivalik ranges for real estate development and mining, both major threats to the environment and ecology in the Delhi-National Capital Region. Two days later, the Supreme Court sharply rebuked the government for proposing to “destroy the forest” and barred any action under the amended Act.

Earlier, in 2011, a similar consolidation order had proposed that land in all of Kot would be consolidated. But the following year, Ashok Khemka, who was director general of consolidation of holdings, Haryana, had withdrawn the order after an inquiry found it impracticable.

Khemka’s inquiry report said: “In case the consolidation exercise of the entire village, including gair mumkin pahar, is carried out, it would wrongly benefit certain influential outsider-purchasers.”

Asked to comment on the February 1 consolidation order, Khemka, senior IAS officer and whistleblower said, “The notification issued is very clear. Look at the area covered. It covers the entire village land. I can’t say what the purpose of this consolidation is. Why don’t you ask any local property dealer or the patwari (revenue official)?”