Minutes of the meeting on conduct of survey & guidelines for verification of title and possession of land in West Godavari agency area

Sri S.RAY, I.A.S.,

Principle Secretary to Government,

Social Welfare Department.

Date: 22-10-1997

Please find copy of the minutes of the meeting held in my chambers on 22-10-1997 at 4.00 p.m regarding modalities of the verification process to be carried out in the agency area of West Godavari District. Also, the guidelines for verification of title and possession of land in West Godavari agency areas is also enclosed herewith. Action may please be takes as per the minutes and guidelines mentioned above.

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

To

Smt. Vasudha Mishra, I.A.S.,

Collector and Dist. Magistrate,

West Godavari District, Eluru.

Copy to:

Principal Secretary to Govt., Revenue Department,

Commissioner of Tribal Welfare, A.P., Hyderabad .

Project Officer, I.T.D.A, K.R.Puram.

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MINUTES OF THE MEETING ON CONDUCT OF SURVEY

A meeting to discuss the modalities of the verification process to be carried out in the agency area of West Godavari district was convened on 22 nd October, 1997 at 4.00 p.m in the chambers of the Principal Secretary (SW), Government of A.P., Hyderabad .

The following members attended the meeting

•  Sri S.Ray, I.A.S., Principal Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department.

•  Sri J.Rambabu, IAS Principal Secretary to Government, Revenue Department.

•  Sri G.Sudhir, IAS, Secretary to Government, Revenue Department.

•  Sri T.S.Appa Rao, IAS, Commissioner of Tribal Welfare.

•  Sri Anil Kumar Singhal, Project Officer, ITDA, K.R.Puram, W.G.Dist.

•  Dr. Sivaramakrishna from SAKTI.

The Principal Secretary (SW) opened the discussions by describing the purpose of the meeting. He invited Mr. Sivaramakrishna to express his opinion on the conduct of verification work. Sri. Sivarama krishna opined that his organisation had partial information which could be supplementary to the official records and the main responsibility of providing information had to be shouldered by the Government. He agreed, in general, with the paper presented by the Project Officer, I.T.D.A.

Then Project Officer, ITDA described the salient features of the paper submitted by him. The Commissioner of Tribal Welfare described to know the reasons for not carrying out this process earlier. The Project Officer explained that it was started in some villages but as soon as tribals realise that not much land is going to come into their hands, they stop the survey saying their representatives were not present. He pointed out that SAKTI, because of its legal and other internal problems, could not really concentrate on the survey work.

The members deliberated at length as to how to handle a situation where no land might actually come to tribals in a particular village. The Principal Secretary, Revenue desired that it should not become a mere justification exercise for the possession of land by non-tribals.

It was decided that SAKTI shall immediately start preparing the tribals for the verification process and mentally tune them to the possibilities of no land actually coming to the tribals.

On the opinion expressed by the Principle Secretary, Revenue, it was also decided that if adequate extent of land was not available to satisfy the tribals, the Project Officer, with cooperation from SAKTI, shall prepare an alternative plan of support including formation of V.S.S. and economic support schemes. It was also decided to use the option of land purchase only as a last resort. On a suggestion by the Commissioner of Tribal Welfare, that sufficient funds might not be available for more than 20-35 villages to cater to needs of all tribals, both the Principle Secretaries expressed confidence that the Government can be convinced to consider release of funds as a special case, if required. Anyway, since land disputes are in about 35 villages, the existing funds may itself suffice.

Finally it was decided that Project Officer shall write, along with Sivaramakrishna, a note incorporating all the issues discussed in the meeting, specifying the role of all officials / non-officials for perusal of the Principal Secretary, Social Welfare.

The Principal Secretary, Social Welfare thanked everybody for attending the meeting.

Sd/- S.Ray,

PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT.

P.Hanumantha Rao,

Deputy Secretary to Govt.,

Social Welfare Department,

A.P. Secretariat, Hyd -22

GUIDELINES FOR VERIFICATION OF TITLE AND POSSESSION OF LAND IN WEST GODAVARI AGENCY AREA.

The Collector shall conduct a district level meeting with all the parties and organisations and explain to them the modalities of the verification work and take their written consent for total cooperation and willingness to abide by the outcome of the verification work.

Following are the guidelines to be followed by the officials, non-officials and non-governmental organizations working in the agency area for conduct of the verification of titles and possession of lands in the agency area:

•  The organisation concerned shall hold intensive discussions with the tribals and explain to them the kind of verification work that shall be carried out and its strategy and the possibility of the lands coming into their possession and the time frame within which these lands can come into their possession. They shall take specific care to ensure that the tribals are mentally prepared to accept the fact that no or very little lands might actually come from non-tribals into their possession in certain villages.

•  Meanwhile, representatives of the organisation, representatives of the tribals, 2 or 3 Deputy Tahsildars from among the Survey Staff, sufficient number of Surveyors and, if required, Sub Collector himself shall either in the MROs Office or in the Project Officer's Office shall obtain all possible information and prepare the following lists relating to verification work.

•  They shall obtain a map of the village and shade in different colours the lands belonging to tribals and non-tribals as per 1933 RSR and keep blank the lands which are adangal or poromboke.

•  The Project Officer, ITDA has already computerised the list of all the beneficiaries who have been assigned Government lands since 1933. This can also be shaded in a third colour.

•  The list of 1473 judgments pronounced till today by the Special Deputy Collector (Tribal Welfare) in favour of Government or tribals is already computerised. In some cases, field verification has been completed by the Mandal Revenue Officers. The NGOs concerned also have specific information relating to the present stage of cases. All these information can be compiled and a list of the stage of the cases based on office record should be prepared.

•  Information relating to land ceiling cases should be obtained from Mandal Revenue Officer's Office and in some cases from the ARDO (LR), Eluru.

•  The list of post 1970 registrations is already obtained from the Sub Registrar's Office.

•  The list of occupants of poramboke land should be prepared as per the possession recorded in adangal.

•  After informing both the tribals and non-tribals by a beat of tom-tom in the village, the survey team along with representatives of NGOs or the political party concerned shall go to the village along with these lists and the 1933 RSR and the latest adangal. They shall hand over the copies of adangal and 1933 RSR and other lists to the villagers. They shall also question each non-tribal who has come into possession of the lands after 1933 as to his claim over the land. The tribals shall be asked if they have any objections regarding the claim of non-tribals. Some of the non-tribals may require some time to furnish the documents. Similarly, the tribals may also require time to study the records and to list out their objections. Thus, after the first meeting, a week time may be given for both the parties and a second meeting can be held. Similarly, the information as to the latest stage of the LTR cases can be obtained from the non-tribals by asking them to produce proof of any stay order or other judgments that they have in their possession. The list of all tribals who have been assigned Government lands can be read out to ascertain whether they are in possession of the lands or not. The Sub Collector, the Mandal Revenue Officer, the Survey DTs, the Special Deputy Collector (Tribal Welfare) and the representative s of concerned organisations should participate in this meeting.

•  In the second meeting, all the objections raised by the tribals should be taken into consideration as also the proof of tiles produce by the non-tribals and the following lists can be prepared:

•  The list of irregular assignments, which should be cancelled and fresh assignments made by the Sub Collector within 3 weeks.

•  The list of Government lands, which are either in possession of non-tribals or unassigned, to be assigned to the tribals within one week.

•  The list of LTR cases to be filed before the Special Deputy Collector to be disposed off by him preferably within 3 months.

•  The list of cases where appeals need to be filed before the Agent to Government which should preferably be disposed off within a period of 4 months.

•  The list of cases which are pending before the Government of High Court which shall be pursued by the Project Officer, ITDA by appointing advocates at Hyderabad .

•  The list of land ceiling and benami cases regarding which the tribals shall furnish specific information and which shall be filed before the concerned authorities within a period of 2 weeks.

•  The list of clear patta lands of both tribals and non-tribals which shall be respected by everybody.

•  Wherever it is found that sufficient land does not exist to satisfy the tribals, the organisation concerned and the Project Officer, ITDA shall identify suitable schemes like formation of Vana Samrakshana Samithis and Economic Support Schemes to provide relief to the landless.

•  The District Collector shall provide sufficient number of competent Deputy Tahsildar and Surveyors and other staff as required to facilitate smooth conduct of the verification and survey work.

•  In villages where the tribals have occupied lands belonging to Scheduled Castes which are without pattas, the Collector shall make arrangements to rehabilitate them by providing lands under S.C. Lands Purchase Scheme and houses under IAY, outside the agency area.

•  To create confidence amongst the tribals and a cordial atmosphere for survey and as already discussed in the Cabinet Sub Committee meeting, petty cases against the tribals shall be listed and action taken to withdraw those cases.

•  After completion of a village, a joint press statement shall be issued by the Sub Collector and the concerned organisation as to the outcome of the survey. A copy of the final lists prepared shall be furnished to the Project Officer for computerisation and reporting to the Commissioner of Tribal Welfare.

•  In order to avoid any complications, the villages shall be selected alphabetically in the mandal or as suggested by the NGO/political parties.

•  A copy of the adangal and 1933 RSR / fair adangal shall be furnished to all villages sufficiently in advance.

Sd/- S.Ray,

PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

(True Copy)

P.Hanumantha Rao,

Deputy Secretary to Govt.,

Social Welfare Department,

A.P. Secretariat, Hyd -22