REVENUE DEPARTMENT POLICY NOTE 2010-2011 Demand No.41 - Revenue Department Demand No.51 - Relief on Account of Natural Calamities I. PERIASAMY MINISTER FOR REVENUE AND HOUSING © Government of Tamil Nadu 2010 REVENUE DEPARTMENT POLICY NOTE 2010-2011 REVENUE DEPARTMENT POLICY NOTE 2010-2011 Index Chapter Contents Pages No. I Introduction 1-5 II Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation Department 1. Revenue Administration 7-15 2. Social security schemes 15-20 3. Redressal of Public Grievances 20-25 4. Natural Calamities and Disaster 25-40 Management III Land Administration 1. Land Assignment 41-47 2. Land Lease, Transfer & Alienation 48-51 3. Eviction of Encroachments 51-53 4. Land Acquisition 53-56 IV Survey & Settlement 1. Survey 57-64 2. Settlement 64-68 V Land Reforms 1. Land Reforms and Ceiling 69-74 2. Tenancy Laws 75-79 3. Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers 79-83 Welfare Board 4. Urban Land Ceiling & Urban Land Tax 83-90 CHAPTER - I INTRODUCTION The Land Revenue had been the main source of revenue for the State since the Sangam age. The Land tax had been levied based on the type of the Land and the crop yield. At times, when the land tax was levied exorbitantly the scholars and the poets had played the advisory role by pointing out the defects to the King and had set the Government on the right path. It is pertinent to note that even in the Sangam age, the poet Piciranthaiyar had given advice to the Pandia King Arivudai Nambi about the taxation system in his poem in 'Pura Nanuru' Cut the paddy corn When it is ripe, And make it into balls of rice, And the yield of a small field, Barely a fraction of a cent, Will feed an elephant For many a day 2 But if the brute Should step into a field, And trampling eat, Even a hundred acres Will not serve, For the feet will spoil More than the mouth could eat. So, if a wise king Levies his taxes justly, His kingdom will yield him millions, And will greatly prosper as well. "An elephant can be fed for many days if the paddy grown even in a single 'Maa' of land (a fraction of an acre) is cut and balls of rice is made properly. But if the elephant enters itself into the field, even if the Land is very large, then the paddy trampled by the elephant will be much more than the paddy actually consumed by the elephant. Similarly, if a wise King collects tax from the people following the ethics of taxation then the nation will develop through accumulation of wealth in crore." 3 But during the British Colonial Rule ethics of taxation was given up and the tax was increased upto half of the yield following the 'Half-net-principle' with the sole aim of increasing the revenue. As a result Ryots were affected severely. Subsequently, though the 'Ryotwari Settlement' was introduced by abolishing the system of tax collection through 'Zamindars' and 'Poligars'; it did not ameliorate the burden of tax on Ryots. With the establishment of the Democratic Government after Independence, a number of land reforms acts were enacted and various public welfare measures were introduced. In the changed situtation, land tax came to be treated not as a source of revenue for the State, but as yet another documentary evidence of rights and ownership of the pattardars and users of the land. The Tamil Nadu Government which is pioneer in the Country in implementing land reform measures and various public welfare measures, brought out a major reform last 4 year in the land revenue assessment in the interest of farmers. The Government simplified the procedure and drastically reduced the land revenue for the wet land from Rs.50 to Rs.5 per acre and for dry land from Rs.15 to Rs.2 per acre and this nominal land revenue is being collected from the Fasli Year 1419, providing greater happiness to the farmers. Thus with the passage of time, Revenue Department came to be treated not as a department earning Revenue for State but as a 'Public Administration' Department maintaining Law and Order at the District Level besides implementation of various important schemes and Land Administration and Land reform measures. Further this Department acts as 'a friend in need' for the people by mitigating the sufferings of the people whenever they are affected by natural calamities like cyclone, heavy rains, flood, earth quake, drought, land slide and Tsunami. 5 In Revenue Department, at the State level, the works are monitored by the Heads of Departments (i.e.,) Commissioner of Revenue Administration, Commissioner of Land Administration, Commissioner of Land Reforms and Commissioner of Survey and Settlement. At the district level, under the leadership of the District Collector, revenue functions are discharged by various functionaries including District Revenue Officers, Revenue Divisional Officers, Tahsildars, Revenue Inspectors, Village Administrative Officers and other supporting staff. By adopting Information Technology, Modern Management Techniques, Digitisation of Field Maps, Web based services, Touch Screen KIOSKS and Common Service Centres Revenue Department continues to serve the public effectively. 6 7 CHAPTER - II Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation Department 2.1 Revenue Administration The Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation Department deals with a variety of important activities in the State. The Land Revenue collection, mitigation and management of natural calamities, and other disasters, issue of various certificates, implementation of various Social Assistance Schemes and public welfare schemes are handled by this Department through well established District, Divisional, Taluk and Village level Administrative units. The officials of this department play a key role in redressing the grievances and problems of the public. 2.2 Reorganisation of Administrative Units As announced in the Assembly during the Revenue Demands two new Revenue Divisions, nine new Taluks and 8 six new Firkas have been formed during 2009-2010 as mentioned below:- New Revenue Divisions Situated in District 1. Udumalaipettai Tiruppur 2. Tambaram Kancheepuram New Taluks 1. Tiruverumbur Tiruchirappalli 2. Kuthalam Nagapattinam 3. Kurinjipadi Cuddalore 4. Kadavur Karur 5. Madavaram Tiruvallur 6. Madathukulam Tiruppur 7. Alandur Kancheepuram 8. Sholinganallur Kancheepuram 9. Ambur Vellore New Firkas 1. Chitlapakkam Kancheepuram 2. Madambakkam Kancheepuram 3. Pammal Kancheepuram 4. Pallavaram Kancheepuram 5. Sholinganallur Kancheepuram 6. Medavakkam Kancheepuram Besides this Athur and Dindigul Taluks in Dindigul District have been reorganised, by annexing the Reddiyarchathiram Panchayat Union comprising of Dharumathupatti, Palaganoothu and Reddiyarchathiram Firkas of Athur Taluk with Dindigul Taluk. Ikkaraipoluvampatti (North) and Ikkaraipoluvampatti (South) 9 villages in Coimbatore (South) Taluk have also been reorganised into Ikkaraipoluvampatti and Semmedu Villages. At present there are 32 Districts, 76 Revenue Divisions, 220 Taluks, 1127 Firkas and 16564 Revenue Villages in the State. 2.3 Filling up of vacant posts in Revenue Department From the year 2001 to 2005, the vacant posts of Assistants, Junior Assistants, Typists, Steno-Typists coming under Ministerial service and other posts such as Drivers, Office Assistants, Watchmen and Telephone Operators could not be filled up by this Department in view of the ban orders for direct recruitment. Consequent on the lifting of ban orders by the Government in 2006 Revenue Department issued orders to fill up as many as 8165 posts under various categories through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission and other sources, out of which 4971 posts have been filled up. Effective action is being taken to fill up the remaining vacancies. 10 2.4 Village Administration (i) Appointment of Village Administrative Officers Village Administration continues to be the mainstay of the District Revenue Administration. The system of part-time Village Officers was abolished with effect from 14.11.1980 and full time Village Administrative Officers were appointed in all the Revenue Villages in the State. These posts were brought under the purview of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. There are 12,506 sanctioned posts of Village Administrative Officers in the State. Recently the Government in G.O. (Ms.) No.123, Revenue Department, dated 11.3.2010 ordered to recruit 1576 Village Administrative Officers to fill up the vacancies that arose in the years 2007-2010 through direct recruitment. In addition 525 vacancies are ordered to be filled up by Compassionate Ground Appointment. 11 (ii) Village Assistants The Government adopts a Policy to provide atleast one Village Assistant for each Revenue Village. Accordingly in G.O. (Ms.) No.155, Revenue Department, dated 26.3.2010 the Government have ordered to fill up 2174 post of Village Assistants in the existing vacancies, out of which 25% will be filled up through Compassionate Ground Appointment. 2.5 Office Buildings Consequent on the formation of new districts, Master Plan Complexes are being established in the district headquarters consisting of Collectorate and other offices, and residential accommodation, etc., to achieve functional efficiency. Every year, based on the need, construction of new buildings, additional office buildings, residential places and other infrastructural needs including repair of revenue buildings are assessed and the required assistance is being provided by the Government. (i) Collectorate Buildings Of the 32 Districts in the State, 30 Districts have 12 Collectorate housed in Government buildings. The Government have sanctioned Rs.25 Crore for reconstruction of Collectorate and other Government Offices at Salem. The works are in progress and likely to be completed by September 2010. For the new Collectorate of Ariyalur District Government have sanctioned Rs.12.88 crores and the work is in progress. The Government have also sanctioned Rs.12.00 crore for construction of new Collectorate of Tiruchirapalli and the work is likely to be completed by April 2011. The Collectorate of the newly created Tiruppur District, is now functioning temporarily in the Tiruppur Cotton Market Buildings and the selection of site for Master Plan Complex will be finalised shortly.