Section 5 in The Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961
5. Regulation of use and occupation, etc., of lands vested or deemed to have been vested in panchayats.
(1)All lands vested or deemed to have been vested in a Panchayat under this Act shall be utilized or disposed of by the Panchayat for the benefit of the inhabitants of the village concerned in the manner prescribed :Provided that where two or more villages have a common Panchayat the shamlat deh of each village shall be utilised and disposed of by the Panchayat for the benefit of the inhabitants of that village :Provided further that where there are two or more shamlat tikkas in a village the shamlat tikka shall be utilised and disposed of by the panchayat for the benefit of the inhabitants of that tikka :Provided further that where the area of land in shamlat deh of any village so vested or deemed to have been vested in a Panchayat is in excess of twenty-five per cent of the total area of that village (excluding abadi deh), then twenty-five per cent of such total area shall be left to the Panchayat and out of the remaining area of shamlat deh an area up to the extent of twenty-five per cent of such area shall be utilized for the settlement of landless tenants and other tenants ejected or to be ejected of that village and the remaining area of shamlat deh, if any, shall be utilized for distribution to the small landowners of that village subject to the provisions relating to permissible area and permissible limit of the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953, and the Pepsu Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1955, as the case may be by the Collector in consultation with the Panchayat in such manner as may be prescribed.(2)The area of shamlat deh to be utilized for the purposes of the third proviso to sub-section (1) shall be demarcated by such officer in consultation with the Panchayat and in such manner as my be prescribed.(3)The State Government or any officer authorised by it in this behalf may from time to time, with a view to ensuring compliance with the provisions of the second proviso to sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), issue to pay Panchayat such directions as may be deemed necessary.
