Section 17 in The Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964
17. The manner and the order of priority in which the [excess] area is to be utilized by the Collector under sub-section (1) of Section 5.
[Sections 5(1) and 15(2)]. - [(1) (i) The landless tenants and other tenants ejected or to be ejected in the village shall apply to the panchayat for the allotment of the surplus area of shamilat deh earmarked for the purpose not later than October every year. Such application shall be acknowledged in writing and entered in register of tenants, by the panchayat.(ii)The Panchayat shall in the month of January, every year, formulate its proposal for the allotment of the area referred to in clause (i) to the tenants and send the proposal to the Collector through the Panchayat Samiti for approval. The Collector shall ordinarily approve the proposal of the panchayat. Where however there are complaints, the Collector may modify or return the proposal to the Panchayat for submitting revised proposal.(iii)Where the area available for allotment to the tenants is not sufficient to satisfy all the applicants; preference for the purposes of allotment shall be determined by the order in which applications for resettlement were made and where the applications for allotment were made and where the applications were made on the same day, the priority shall be decided by drawing lots.(2)(i)Applications for allotment of excess area of Shamilat deh available for distribution amongst small landowenrs under the third proviso to sub-section (1) of Section 5 shall be made to the Panchayats within one month of the date of determination of such area by the Panchayat.(ii)Each such applications shall be acknowledged and entered by the Panchayat in the Register to be maintained for the purpose by the Panchayat.(iii)The Panchayat shall submit a proposal to Collector through the panchayat samiti within two months of the date of determination of the excess area by the panchayat.(iv)Where the area available for distribution among small landowners is not sufficient to satisfy all the applicants, priority shall be given to the smallest landowners and where there are more than one, small landowners having equal land-holding priority shall be decided by drawing costs.](3)In case a tenant or small land-holder does not take possession of the area allotted to him within six months from date of allotment, the allotment shall be inoperative and that area shall be utilized for resettlement of another tenant or small-holders as the case may be.
