House passes bill to amend land ceiling law

It allows religious, charitable, spiritual organisations to transfer up to 30 acres of land for same purposes

- Dar Ovais

HARAMSHALA: The Himachal Pradesh assembly on the third day of its winter session on Friday passed the amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act to allow religious, charitable and spiritual organisations to transfer land for religious, spiritual or charitable purposes, subject to the maximum limit of thirty acres.

This comes after the state government decided to bring an amendment Bill to the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, to enable the charitable hospital run by Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) in Bhota area of Hamirpur district, to transfer its land to a sister organisation-Maharaj Jagat Singh Medical Relief Society.

The bill proposes an amendment to Section 5 of the Act. The amendment provides that the state government, for reasons to be recorded in writing, may allow the transfer of such land, structure, or both, as the case may be, for religious, spiritual, or charitable purposes, subject to a maximum limit of thirty acres. The land, structure, or both, as the case may be, so transferred shall be used for the same purpose for which it has been allowed, failing which the land, structure, or both, as the case may be, shall vest in the state government free from all encumbrances.

The RSSB is running a 75-bed hospital on 44 acres in Bhota, Hamirpur. The management had expressed its wish to upgrade the facility with new equipment and had sought clearance from the government to transfer its land to a sister organisation, but faced obstacles.

After not getting clearance, the hospital announced the closure last month, ensuing widespread protest by the locals, but then resumed its services after the CM said the state government would introduce an amendment to the Land Ceiling Act in the winter assembly session. The request for the land transfer aimed to obtain GST exemptions for purchasing medical equipment and upgrading the hospital's facilities.