Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel instructs facilitation of certificates for farmers whose land were acquired by state

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 29 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed the publication of a new resolution to facilitate the issuance of certificates for farmers whose land was acquired for development projects since the state’s formation in 1960, a press release by the Chief Minister’s Office stated.

Upon receiving an application, the concerned Collector will personally verify the details and issue a farmer certificate. The farmer will then be required to purchase land within three years of receiving this certificate.

These decisions were taken after CM Bhupendra Patel received several complaints during the State SWAGAT Online Public Grievance Redressal Program.

Farmers, whose lands were taken for these projects and who lost their farmer status due to not obtaining farmer certificates at the time have raised their concerns with the Chief Minister during the State SWAGAT Online Public Grievance Redressal Program, as per the release.

“With a proactive approach, the Chief Minister prioritized the quick resolution of these issues and continued to guide the relevant departments to address long-standing matters promptly. By adopting a positive and solution-oriented stance on the farmers’ representations at SWAGAT Online, the Chief Minister has ensured the timely resolution of this pending issue,” the CMO release stated.

To ensure that farmers whose land has been acquired for various development projects in the state can still purchase agricultural land without difficulty, the State Government, through its resolution dated August 26, 2009, authorized the concerned Collector or an authorized officer to issue a farmer certificate to such farmers.

The provision allowing the purchase of land within three years of receiving the certificate is also in place. To further ease the process for farmers who lost their farmer status due to the failure to obtain the certificate at the time, CM Patel has made another positive decision, as he instructed the publication of a new resolution to facilitate the issuance of certificates, the release further stated.

According to this decision, farmers whose land was acquired for development projects since Gujarat’s formation on May 1, 1960, and who could not obtain a farmer certificate, can now apply to the concerned Collector within one year of the resolution’s publication to receive their certificate, as per the release. Upon receiving an application, the concerned Collector will personally verify the details and issue a farmer certificate. The farmer will then be required to purchase land within three years of receiving this certificate, it added.

This decision aims to support farmers whose lands were acquired for development projects and who were either unable to obtain a farmer certificate at the time or lost their farmer status. It provides them with the opportunity to continue farming.

Additionally, farmers who lost their farmer status due to having only one uncultivated survey number in their account often faced difficulties in purchasing agricultural land as they could not obtain a farmer certificate. These concerns were regularly brought to the Chief Minister’s attention.

“In response to such representations, CM Bhupendra Patel has decided that moving forward, if a farmer requests a certificate after the last survey number of their agricultural land has become uncultivated, the certificate must be issued within one year of the land becoming uncultivated. The farmer will then have two years from the date of certificate issuance to purchase land. Applicants who lost their farmer status one year before the publication of this resolution will also benefit from this decision,” the CMO release stated.