The Punjab Vidhan Sabha, in a one-day special session held on Tuesday, gave its nod to three significant pieces of legislation aimed at reforming land revenue administration and stamp duty structures. The session was primarily convened to pass a resolution against the central government's Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.
Three Bills Receive Legislative Approval
The House cleared the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2025, the Indian Stamp (Punjab Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian presented the Bills and detailed their intended benefits for the citizens of Punjab.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presided over the special session, which was held in Chandigarh. The passage of these Bills marks a concerted push by the state government to modernize and simplify archaic land and revenue systems.
Rationalizing Stamp Duty and Speeding Up Ownership
Explaining the rationale behind the amendments, Minister Mundian stated that the change to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 is designed to rationalize stamp duty. It specifically addresses duties related to the deposit of title deeds, hypothecation, and equitable mortgage. The key reform is the removal of duplicate levies for the same loan transaction, which will provide financial relief and clarity in banking and property dealings.
Regarding the Punjab Abadi Deh Bill, the minister emphasized that it will reduce timelines for filing objections and appeals. This procedural streamlining is expected to accelerate the implementation of the "Mera Ghar Mere Naam" scheme. The move is crucial for ensuring timely and hassle-free ownership rights to residents living in 'Abadi Deh' (village settlement) areas, who have long faced delays in securing formal titles to their properties.
Digitization and Citizen-Friendly Reforms
The amendments to the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 focus on judicial and administrative efficiency within the revenue department. The changes are poised to expedite the disposal of cases pending before various revenue authorities. Furthermore, the amended Act will prevent the unnecessary summoning of individuals who are not directly involved in a litigation, thereby reducing public harassment.
A significant forward leap is the accordance of legal sanctity to digital records and digital signatures. This provision formally brings the state's land record management into the digital era. Minister Mundian asserted that the collective impact of these legislative changes will be to reduce hardship for citizens and establish a citizen-friendly, digitized record-keeping system across the entire state.
The passage of these Bills underscores the Punjab government's focus on administrative reforms, particularly in the critical sectors of land revenue and property rights, which directly impact a vast number of its citizens.
