Section 6 in The Orissa Government Land Settlement Rules, 1983
6. Principles for settlement.
- Settlement of Government land for agricultural purposes shall be made village-wise. Every year, applications received in each quarter shall be considered in one batch for disposal in the first month of the succeeding quarter. Applications of each category of applications specified in Sub-section (3) of Section 3 shall be considered together and disposed of in the order of priorities.(2)Where reclamation schemes are undertaken by Government for agricultural development or for re-settlement or rehabilitation of displaced persons of any category including tribals or of weaker sections of the society, settlement of the land reclaimed shall be made according to such scheme in each case.(3)Char and Diara lands which are thrown out of a reservoir or any other irrigation project temporarily shall be settled for cultivation for a season only.(4)No Government land shall be settled in urban areas for agricultural purposes.(5)Land covered by forest growth coming within the purview of Clause (ii) of Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 or recorded as forest inside village boundary of lands covered by forest shall not be settled for any purpose whatsoever without prior approval of Government. Where areas having sparse tree growth inside village boundary are proposed to be settled under these rules, no intimation slips as provided in Rule 12, shall be issued unless the following formalities are observed, namely :(a)the Divisional Forest Officer-in-charge of the area shall be intimated of the decision to settle the land if there is sparse tree growth on it and he shall be called upon to dispose of the trees within a period of three months from the date of such intimation either by himself or through an officer not below the rank of a Range Officer;(b)the Divisional Forest Officer shall arrange for disposal of the trees by auction to the village community in the presence of the Tahasildar or his representative not below the rank of a Revenue Supervisor which shall not be less than the royalty at the rates approved by the Forest Department. Only very small growth which is not saleable or which is not worth selling may be settled with any person at four times the rate of royalty prescribed by the Forest Department;(c)if within three months the Divisional Forest Officer does not dispose of the trees or remove them, the Tahasildar or any officer authorised by him in this behalf shall do the same through public auction;(d)on receipt of intimation under Clause (a) of Sub-rule (5), the Divisional Forest Officer may raise objection to settlement of such land. In all such cases the area objected to shall not be settled without the orders of the Collector after due consideration of the objection of the Divisional Forest Officer, provided that the grant of lease does not contravene the provisions of Clause (i) of Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and that the proposed lease of land if inside a village boundary is not recorded as forest or otherwise covered by forests.
