Introductory—The decision that the order of allotment should contain the khasra numbers of which possession was to be given to an individual allottee was taken as far back as June. 1948. It was felt that unless definite khasra numbers were assigned, the process of allotment would remain incomplete and the scope for delay, corruption and injustice would increase. With a view to implementing this decision, for the evacuee area of every village in East Punjab and Pepsu, a statement of khasra numbers of evacuee land was prepared for every village, giving against each field, its area, class of soil according to the jamabandi and the latest harvest inspection, the rights under which the evacuee held the land and particulars of rent etc. Rights pertaining to individual khasra numbers were classified in the manner explained below and the area of each khasra number and the class of land, according to the last jamabandi as well as the last khasra girdavari, were noted carefully. From the village lists of evacuee khasra numbers, a very detailed statement of evacuee lands was prepared for each village. The task of giving khasra numbers to almost half a million persons at a central camp was a formidable one, and it was necessary to evolve details of procedure capable of being handled successfully as a mass operation by thousands of revenue officials working simultaneously.
2. The work of allotment of khasra numbers in each village is divided into four parts :
Part I: Verification of the list of evacuee khasra numbers,
Part II: Preparation of the list of allottees,
Part III: Determination of the mode of partition, and
Part IV: Allotment of khasra numbers to individuals.
The directions given under each head are stated in the following paragraphs.
3. The instructions for the verification of village khasra lists are as follows :
(1) Area,
class of land and rights :
The village khasra list should be checked carefully with the jamabandi, so as to make sure that :
(a) particulars of khasra, numbers have been correctly copied:
(b) there are no Khasra numbers in the list which should be excluded from it;
(c) no Khasra numbers which should be included in the list are left out; and
(d) the class of land, area and rights shown against each Khasra number are correctly entered.
There should be no khasra numbers in the list, which may apparently be open to allotment but should. in fact. be excluded from allotment. For instance, the jamabandi may show certain khasra numbers as cultivated, but the entry in the Khasra girdawari, which is more recent and has to be followed, may be ghair mumkin river.
(2) Evacuee land due for restoration to
owners :
The village khasra lists should be checked so as to ensure that there are no khasra numbers included in it which are due for restoration to evacuee owners under the instructions issued by the Governments of East Punjab and Pepsu. If there are any khasra numbers included in the list, which should be excluded on this account, they should be struck off and a note made against them to the effect that they have been restored or are due to be restored to the evacuee owners.
(3) Joint Khewats including evacuees and
non-evacuees :
(a) Land may be held jointly in the same khewat by Muslim and non-Muslim co-sharers, the Muslim co-sharers being evacuees: or it may he held jointly in the same khewat by a number of Muslim co-sharers some of whom are evacuees and some non-evacuees entitled to the restoration of their lands. In a joint khewat in which the shares are specified but the co-sharers do not have separate possession of their holdings, the shares held by evacuees rather than any specific khasra numbers are to be regarded as a measure of the evacuee property. Against the khasra numbers included in such joint khewats remarks should be entered in the village khasra list to the effect that the share of the evacuees is one-half or one-fourth or one-eighteenth, as the case may be. When allotting khasra numbers the share of the evacuees only is to be allotted so that the non-evacuee co-sharers in the khewat and the new allottees will hold jointly. Later on, according to the shares of the co-sharers, the joint holding is to be partitioned and possession given;
(b) If the co-sharers in a joint khewat maintain separate possessions, on the basis of their shares in the khewat the khasra numbers in the possession of the evacuees will be regarded as evacuee land and will be allotted as such. The holding will be shown as joint between non-evacuee owners and the new allottees- The khasra numbers which are allotted will be shown in the record as being under cultivation or possession according to the entries against the joint khewat.
(c) If the area under possession of an evacuee co-sharer in a joint khewat exceeds or falls short of the share shown against him in the record, the following procedure is adopted :
(i) If the area under the possession of an evacuee co-sharer in a joint khewat exceeds his share, then the exact area according to the share of the evacuee in the khewat will be deemed to be evacuee area, the excess area in the possession of the evacuee co-sharer will be shown in the name of the Custodian, Evacuee Property, and will, at present, be excluded from quasi-permanent allotment and will be shown under the head of area available for temporary allotment. Against a khasra number excluded in this manner from quasi-permanent allotment the following remarks should be made to the effect "area excluded from allotment being in excess of the share of the evacuee" (zaid az hissa zer qabza maha-jir hone ki wajah se kharij az taqsim rahega). The remaining khasra numbers will be considered to be evacuee land;
(ii) If the area in the possession of an evacuee co-sharer in the joint khewat is less than his share, then only those khasra numbers which are under his possession will be considered to be evacuee land. but in making entries concerning the joint khewat, the Custodian. Evacuee Property will be shown as co-sharer in the khewat to the extent that the area under possession falls short of the evacuees share in the khewat The Custodian can then take such action as may be necessary in order to complete the area.
Both under (i) and fii) above, the khewat will continue to be a Joint khewat as between the new allottees and the co-sharers, and possession will be given according to the shares, of the co-sharers.
(d) Pending and decided
mutations :
Pending mutations of transfer based on registered deeds prior to the 15th August, 1947 should be taken as being incorporated in the record of rights for the purpose of determining evacuee lands, irrespective of whether the mutations were entered before or after the 15th August, 1947. The effect of decided mutations on the village khasra list should also be taken into account.
(e) Area due for allotment or to be
excluded from allotment:
The evacuee area of any village under the various rights should be analysed so as to yield information regarding :
(1) area which can be allotted on a quasi-permanent basis ;
(2) area which has to be excluded from the present allotment;
(3) area which cannot at present be allotted; and
(4) area which, though due for quasi-permanent allotment, is to be kept out of the allotment.
Each category may be considered in turn.
(1). Area
under the following rights is available for quasi-permanent allotment.
(i) (a) Area under full ownership held free of mortgage and unaccompanied! by rights of occupancy;
(b) Area under full ownership in which both the mortgagor and the mortgagee with possession are evacuees;
(c) Area under full ownership of which both landlord and occupancy tenant are evacuees ;
(d) Area of which both the superior and the inferior owner are evacuees;
(ii) (a) Area under inferior ownership free of mortgage and without rights of occupancy;
(b) Area under inferior ownership of which both mortgagor and mortgagee with possession are evacuees;
(c) Area under inferior ownership of which both landlord and occupancy tenant are evacuees ;
(iii) (a) Area held free of mortgage in which evacuees are occupancy tenants and non-evacuees are landlords;
(b) Area held free of mortgage under rights of inferior ownership, evacuees being inferior owners and local residents superior owners;
(iv) (a) Area held free of mortgage of which non-evacuees are occupancy tenants and evacuees are the owners;
(b) Area held free of mortgage by inferior owners who are non-evacuees while the superior owners are evacuees;
(v) Cultivated shamilat area in the possession of evacuee | co-sharers, provided area under possession does not exceed the proportionate share; and
(vi) (a) Area under full ownership mortgaged with possession by non-evacuees to evacuees;
(b) Area under inferior ownership mortgaged with possession by non- evacuees to evacuees;
(c) Area under rights of occupancy whose occupancy rights have been mortgaged with possession by non-evacuees to evacuees;
(d) Area under rights of occupancy held by non-evacuees in which the rights of landlordship have been mortgaged with possession by non- evacuees to evacuees;
(e) Area under superior ownership which has been mortgaged with possession by non-evacuees to evacuees.
(2). Area,
which is not at present available for allotment, includes:
(i) (a) Area under full ownership mortgaged with possession by evacuees to non-evacuees;
(b) Area under inferior ownership mortgaged with possession by evacuees to non-evacuees;
(c) Area under occupancy rights whose occupancy rights have been mortgaged with possession by evacuees to non-evacuees;
(d) Area under non-evacuee occupancy tenants whose landlord rights have been mortgaged with possession by evacuees to non-evacuees; and
(e) Area under superior ownership mortagaged with possession by evacuees to non-evacuees; and
(ii) Uncultivated shamilat area.
(3) Area
under rights due for quasi-permanent allotment, which has to be excluded from
allotment, comprises :
(a) Area which has been kept out of allotment because it is required for the extension of a town or is to be utilised for compensation in land or has been or is to be acquired for a public purpose :
(b) Area in the possession of non-evacuees held free of rent in virtual ownership (bila lagan bawajah tassawr malkiyat khud)
(c) Area shown in the name of any khanqah, mosque, religious institution, trust or Muslim educational institution. Such area will not be allotted quasi-permanently, but arrangements for its cultivation will be made on a temporary basis ;
(d) Area which is due for restoration to Muslim owners or occupancy tenants or which belongs to Muslims declared to be non-evacuees. Khasra numbers of such area have to be excluded from the village khasra list even if the area has been included in the statement of evacuee land. The list of such khasra numbers has to be prepared with care.
4. It is the duty of the Resettlement Officer of a district to maintain an accurate statement duly signed by him showing in detail khasra numbers which have been kept out of allotment along with the reason in each case for such exclusion. In the village khasra list, against khasra numbers excluded from allotment, the patwari should enter remarks to the effect that the particular numbers have been-excluded from allotment and should also enter the reasons for such exclusion. The girdawar kanungo should inspect and certify that the entries are in accordance with the orders of the Resettlement Officer.
Calculation of value in standard acres of area under non-proprietary rights :— 5. The value in standard acres of khasra numbers at evacuee land which is not under rights of full ownership, and may be, for instance, under rights of occupancy tenancy, superior or inferior ownership or of landlordship over land burdened with occupancy rights, is calculated in the following manner. The first step is to convert the area of khasra numbers under such rights into area under rights of full ownership. For instance, if a certain occupancy right Is valued at 10 annas as compared to a value of 16 annas for full ownership and the area under the occupancy right is 40 acres and 4 kanals, in terms of full ownership this will be equivalent to 10|16 x
AK AKN
40-4 i. e., 25-2-10. Or again, if the area under occupancy rights is 8 acres 3 kanals and 14 marlas and the right is valued at 8 annas against 16 annas due for full ownership, then in terms of full ownership the area will be equivalent to 4 acres 1 kanal and 17 marlas. The area in ordinary acres converted in terms of full ownership can then be valued in standard acres and units. In the village khasra list the area in terms of full ownership of khasra numbers held under rights such as occupancy, inferior ownership, or superior ownership and landlord rights of land burdened with occupancy tenancy should be shown in red ink immediately above the original area shown against the relevant khasra numbers. Thereafter, the value in standard acres and units should be worked out.
Entries regarding means of irrigation :—6. In the village khasra list against every chahi khasra number, the name of the well from which the field is irrigated should be entered- The object of this entry is to ensure that in the course of allotment the number of shareholders in a well should be the minimum possible and that each individual secures his chahi area on the minimum possible number of wells.
Valuation of gardens:—7. If there is any evacuee garden area in a village, it should first be ascertained whether this includes a garden included in the 'provincial' list of gardens ear-marked for allotment to displaced garden owners from Pakistan. In that event, the garden area is excluded from allotment in the first instance. Garden area not included in the 'provincial' list is allotted to those persons to whom in the ordinary course it will be allotted as land according to the mode of partition sanctioned for a village. The garden will be valued at twice the value placed on ordinary agricultural land of the same class. Thus, if the area of a garden is 6 kanals of which 3 kanals are nehri, valued at 16 annas, and 3 kanals are barani, valued at 10 annas, the total value will be 12 plus 7-1|2 annas, that is 1 standard acre and 3 ½ units
The steps outlined above are an indispensable preliminary to the allotment of fields in a village. In particular, they enable us to determine the precise area which can be given in quasi-permanent allotment, for which a list of allottees has to be prepared.
Arrangement of villages:—8. After a Resettlement Officer has determined which claims are to be allocated to a village, he has to arrange them in a serial order for the purpose of allotment of fields. This is done according to the following instructions :—
(a) If the allottees are from more than one province of Western Pakistan, the provinces are to be arranged in the order of precedence set by the Urdu alphabet;
(b) If the allottees are from more than one district of West Punjab- the districts are to be arranged in the order of precedence set by the Urdu alphabet;
(c) Within a district tehsils are to be arranged in the order of precedence set by the Urdu alphabet;
For instance, if there are allottees from Lyallpur, Rawalpindi and Mianwali. Rawalpindi will come first, then Lyallpur and finally Mianwali. Similarly, as between the four tahsils of Lyallpur district, allottees from Toba Tek Singh will come first, those from Jaranwala will come next, those from Samundri third and those from Lyallpur will come last of all.
(d) Within a tahsil the West Punjab villages are to be arranged in the order of precedence set by the Urdu alphabet. Chaks come in the list of villages under the appropriate letter of the alphabet (ch), and between different chaks, the numerical order of the distributories is followed. Thus, if two villages Berwala and Kanayawala and four chaks 1 2L, 25|2R. 6|1L and4|1R have to be arranged, the arrangement will be as follows :
Berwala, Chak 5 1R, Chak 6|1L, Chak 25|2R, Chak 1|2L and Kanayawala.
Where the name of a chak as well as its num6er are given, the arrangement will follow the first letter of the name and not the number.
Deviations:—9. These detailed instructions were issued on the 10th September, 1949 because certain discrepancies in proce- -dure came to notice in the manner in which the first instructions on the subject had been followed. These latter simply stated that if there are allottees from three villages, the villages should be arranged according to the Urdu alphabet. In some cases, the villages were presumed to be villages of origin of colonist allottees in East Punjab, in others to be villages of West Punjab. Individual applications will -sometimes be received in which objection is taken to the manner in which villages have been arranged in the list of allottees for the allotment of fields. Khasra allotment is an elaborate task and, therefore, in agreeing to revision in any village, the primary consideration is whether any uniform principle for arranging villages and allottees has been followed and if so. whether there was any factor in the arrangement other than accident which could prejudice the rights of any individual.
Arrangement of allottees:—10. Under each village in the list of allottees, individual allottees have to be arranged according to the Urdu alphabet. Allottees to whom the area due is one-eighth of a standard acre or less are arranged together according to the Urdu alphabet at the beginning of the list of allottees as the very first item in the list, the object being that a number of very petty holders should receive land together and as few fields as possible should be split between individual allottees.
Groups and relations:—11. Resettlement Officers are authorised to list together under the appropriate village the names of allottees who are brothers, father and son, members of the same family, co-sharers in the same 'khewat or members of the same group seeking allotment together. Individual members of such a group are not therefore placed in the list of allottees according to their respective • places according to the alphabet. The internal arrangement in each case for any group of allottees or groups of relations is in accordance with the alphabetical series. In the event of a group containing members who had land in more than one village of West Punjab, the entire group should be shown under the village in which the group had its largest block of land.
The serial number:—12. The allottees of a village having been listed in the manner described above, a serial number has to be given to each person. If the members of a group desire a joint allotment without separate khasra numbers, the group as a whole may be given a single serial number without separate serial numbers being proposed for its individual members. For the purpose of allotment of fields serial numbers of allottees have very great importance, because the order in which allottees are arranged for the purpose of allotment of khasra numbers cannot be altered upset or departed from by any official.
13. Two copies of the list of allottees are prepared, one for the Resettlement Officer's record, known as the part sadar and the other for the use of the patwari known as part patwar. In the part patwar, according to the instructions originally issued, columns 2,3 and 4 in the form shown below are left blank :
List of allottees for the purpose of
allotment
of khasra numbers
Part Srkar
Part Patwar
Village Hadbast Tehsil District
|
|
|
|
|
Area to be allotted |
Grade wise distribution |
|
||||
|
Sr.
No. |
Parcha
claim No. |
Name,
Father’s Name & Caste |
Address |
Class
of allotment |
Standard
acre. |
Unit |
Grade |
Standard
acre. |
Unit |
Remarks |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
5 |
|
|
6 |
|
7 |
It was felt at first that in the interest of fair allotment the particulars of individual allottees should remain confidential in the Resettlement Officer's record. This desideratum was not in practice fulfilled. Moreover, as allotment proceeded, it was decided to publish lists of allottees allocated to any village both outside the Land Resettlement Organisation and at the headquarters of the tahsils, so that objections could be raised before the allocation was finalised. From the middle of September, 1949 these instructions were modified and it was no longer necessary to leave columns 2, 3 and 4 blank in the part patwar.
Directions of the Resettlement
Officer.
14. An order outlining the mode of partition for the evacuee area of each village has to be prepared under the signature of the Resettlement Officer for guidance in the work of allotment of fields. This order should be brief and should give only essential directions for staff. It is not the purpose of the order to describe the various aspects of a village. The mode of partition of evacuee land in any village is to be prepared according to the instructions explained in the following paragraphs.
15. The land of any village varies a good deal in quality. This may be because some portions enjoy facilities of irrigation and others do not; or some portions may be intrinsically superior and better developed while others may be inferior or undeveloped. It is desirable to give to an individual as compact a holding as possible, but considerations of fair distribution also require that good and bad land should be evenly distributed amongst the various allottees. The first question, therefore, to be determined is whether the land of a village can be reasonably put in one grade or whether it should be classified into more grades than one. An individual may hope to get his entire holding at one place, if the land of the village is sufficiently uniform in quality to be classified into a single grade. This is possible, for instance if irrigated and unirrigated fields are interspersed to a considerable extent, or if the difference in quality caused by irrigation is not so great, or if fields of evacuee land and those belonging to non-evacuees are largely interspersed. In such circumstances, it is desirable to have one grade and to allot irrigated! and unimgated fields without paying particular attention to the proportion of irrigated and unirrigated land allotted to different individuals.
Allotment when more than one grade
prescribed.
16. Where, however, it appears to be fairer to have more grades than one, the endeavour should be to restrict the number of grades in any village to two, for instance, irrigated land and unirrigated land. Irrigated land may include irrigation of more than one type and unirrigated land may include land described under different names and possibly representing difference of detail. The expression "grade' is. not synonymous with description of soil, so that there should not be as many grades as there are classes of soil in the village. More than two grades may be constituted in a village in special circumstances when, for instance, there is a great deal of inferior or banjar qadim land in a village. If the irrigated area available in a village compared to the unirrigated area is very small and it is scarcely possible to distribute it among a large number of allottees, either the irrigated area should be given to the smallest allottees of the village or if there are no important reasons to the contrary, it may be kept as a joint holding. The Resettlement Officer should adopt whichever of the two courses he considers feasible in the circumstances of the village.
17. If In a village there is a considerable area in which evacuees held rights of landlordship or superior ownership while non-evacuees are occupancy tenants or inferior owners, it is desirable to constitute such area into a separate grade.
Area
of different classes within a chakbandi.
18. In canal-irrigated districts, sometimes unirrigated and even uncultivated area is included within a chahbandi and may at any time become eligible for irrigation. It may happen that unirrigated area within a chakbandi may receive irrigation and irrigated area may lose the benefit of irrigation. Irrigated and unirrigated area within a chakbandi should, therefore, be allotted in appropriate proportion. Unirrigated area outside the chakbandi should be reckoned separately. Action on these instructions was contemplated, only to the extent that the chakbandi records were available with -the Resettlement Officer of any district.
19. As has been stated earlier, a single grade may include more than one class of land. Grade I in a village may include land which enjoys perennial irrigation, non-perennial irrigation as well as well-irrigation. Grade II in a village may include barani, sailab, banjar jadid, and if the extent of the area is small, even banjar qadim. Ready reckoners are available from which it is possible to ascertain the value in standard acres of individual khasra numbers whose area may be stated in local measures. If for instance, the mode of partition in a village contemplates that an individual is to receive 10 standard acres of grade I and 7 standard acres of grade II, it is immaterial which of the particular classes of soil included in grade I or grade II make up the area In the relevant grade which is allotted to an individual. If the circumstances of a village make it possible to allot land of more than one grade in a reasonably compact manner, these should be taken advantage of the object of the directions stated in this paragraph is to prevent unnecessary fragmentation while ensuring fair distribution.
Allotment
to holders 0F less than 3 standard acres.
20. For very small holders allotment at more than one place holds no advantage. Allottees to whom less than 3 standard acres are due are, therefore, given land in one grade only. This is determined in each case according to the grade in which more than half the area of such an allottee falls. An allottee to whom for instance, 21/2 standard acres are due, whose holding may have consisted to the extent of more than one-half of well-irrigated land is entitled to take his entire holding in the form of irrigated land, if this represents a separate grade in the village of allotment. It is possible that in giving the benefit of compact allotments to small holders, injustice in the distribution of better land may be done to the larger holders. Resettlement Officers have therefore, been given discretion to adopt this course if it does not cause material harm to persons entitled to more than 3 standard acres, many of whom may be self-cultivators.
Determination of proportions of different grades for allotment.
21. Allottees to whom less than 3 standard acres are due being dealt with according to the instructions given above, for the remaining allottees in a village, land of different grades has to be distributed in prescribed proportions. The mode of partition should state what these proportions are. For instance, in a village in which after providing for allottees entitled to less than 3 standard acres the available area consists of 500 standard acres in the first grade and 300 standard acres in the second grade every allottee will receive land of the first and second grade in the proportion of 5 to 3. An allottee to whom 25 standard acres are due will receive 15 standard acres in the first grade and 10 standard acres in the second grade. Within each grade he my receive land of more than one class.
Khasra numbers for land
temporary allotted and reserved.
22. The distinction between quasi-permanent allotment, temporary allotment and reservation of area in favour of an individual was explained in paragraph 20 of Chapter III. Khasra numbers in respect of quasi-permanent allotment and temporary allotment in favour of an individual are allotted together without taking account of the distinction. Khasra numbers for area reserved in favour of Individuals are not, however, given separately for each individual. The entire area so reserved in a village in favour of different persons is pooled. For the total area so reserved, as if it constituted a single allotment, khasra numbers are given according to the mode of partition prescribed for the village.
23. The statistics of evacuee area in a village are classified and set out in the following form :
Tahsil District.
Village:
Hadbast No:
(Areas in standard acres)
Grade I Grade II Grade III Remarks.
1. Total evacuee land
2. Area for quasi-permanent allotment
3. Area for temporary allot-ment
4. Area not to be allotted for the present-
5. Area reserved.
6. Area excluded from allotment
Note:—Under each grade, statistics are given separately for the different classes of land composing the grade.
The detailed order regarding the mode of partition is written immediately below the table. It is important that the mode of partition should be set out in such a manner as is calculated to avoid mistakes or unnecessary labour on the part of patwaris.
DEMARCATION OF KHASRA NUMBERS.
When serial
number may be departed from.
24. When the Resettlement Officer has completed the list of allottees and the order setting out the mode of partition of the evacuee land of a village, the patwari can begin the work of giving individual khasra numbers to each allottee. The first cardinal principle is that Khasra numbers must be given to the allottees in the order in which their names are shown in the list of allottees- That is. No. 1 in the list must receive his Khasra numbers first, then No. 2, then No. 3 and so on. It is not permissible to give 'Khasra numbers to allottee No. 8, then to No. 11 and No. 12, and then to come back to Nos. 9 and 10. In the following circumstances, however, the 'Resettlement Officer has discretion to allot specific khasra numbers to specifi individuals, but a direction to this effect must be recorded in advance in the order outlining the mode of partition:
(a) If an allottee is landlord of certain fields, of which an evacuee was occupancy tenant, and he has applied for the allotment" of those very fields on a valuation basis ;
(b) If an allottee owns land served by an outlet, well or tube-well in the neighbourhood of which certain evacuee fields are situated and he has requested for the allotment of those fields:
(c) In hilly tracts, specially in the Kangra district, in Una Tahsil in the Hoshiarpur district and in Nalagarh and Kandaghat tahsils in the Kohistan district of Pepsu, colonists should be given fields as near to their own land as may be possible. For villages, in which this procedure is adopted, names of allottees have-to be furnished in the part patwars; and
(d) In any special circumstances, with the permission of the Director General.
Actual
allotment of khasra numbers.
25. Khasra numbers falling in each grade should be noted down in the following manner :
Grade I Grade II Grade III
6 to 200 201 to 224 1 to 5
225 to 345 678 to 808 346 to 675
809 to 1200 1396 to 1800 1801 to 1395
2501 to 2700 1801 to 2500
Allottees, according to the mode of partition, are to receive land proportionately from each grade. The allotment of fields will begin from the lowest number available. Thus, for the first grade, in the example given above, the allotment will begin with field No. 6, for the second grade from field No. 201 and for the third grade from field NO.1
After having demarcated fields for allottee No. 1, on the same principles fields will be proposed for allottees No. 2, 3, 4 and so on. A group of fields given to allottee No. 1, may include some in the series 100 to 199, some in the series 200 to 299 and some in the series 400 to 499. The first field to be given to allottee No. 2 will be in the lowest available range, which may be 100 to 199. If, for instance, the last field in this range given to allottee No. 1 is field No. 125 and the next available evacuee field is No. 126, then field No. 126 becomes the first field for allottee No. 2. This is the point from which his series of fields will start. Sometimes field numbers run in such a manner that to follow them in serial order only servos to create holdings which are inconvenient for management or cultivation. In such circumstance it is not necessary to follow the serial order.
26. No odd fields should be left unallotted, which it will be difficult to allot to another individual. As stated earlier, there should be the fewest possible share holders in a single well and the chahi area due to an individual should be given to him on the least possible number of wells.
Importance
of convenient holdings.
27. It is important that holdings should be convenient for farming. A holding which extends far too much in length presents difficulties. As far as possible a group of fields allotted to an individual should make a compact and shapely holding requiring the farmer to have to walk the least possible distance. To the extent necessary to avoid the breaking up of khasra numbers, holdings need not be 'regular' in shape. If immediately in the neighbourhood of a group of fields of the first grade, there is land of a lower grade, such land should be included in an individual's holding, the necessary deduction being made from the area to be allotted in the lower grade elsewhere.
Thus, an allottee due to receive 5 acres in the first grade and 3 in the second grade may, in fact, receive 5 of the first grade and one of the second grade at one place and the balance of 2 acres in the second grade elsewhere. In proposing khasra numbers short of deviating from the serial number in the list of allottees, everything possible should be done to facilitate the formation of convenient holdings.
28. If a group of allottees have applied for allotment in a joint holding in which separate fields are not allotted to different persons, such a group should receive its khasra numbers according to the general principles, as if it were a single allottee. If, however, the members of a group have expressed preference for specific khasra numbers, such a request Is not to be considered.
Calculating valve of khasra
numbers.
29. It is not necessary to work out in standard acres the value of every single khasra number separately. If, for instance, five standard acres in a certain grade have to be given to an individual allottee, the field numbers which will approximately give this area on the known valuation can be proposed. The total area of these khasra numbers can be converted into standard acres and then a field or two may be added or subtracted to get precisely a holding of five standard acres.
30. As far as possible, splitting of individual fields is to be avoided. In each grade the attempt should be to allot complete khasra numbers. Excess or deficit caused on this account in the area allotted in one grade may be met from another grade. If, for instance, there are three grades the final adjustment may be made in the third grade. If the excess or deficit, which arises because the splitting of fields has to be avoided, is more than one kanal, the permission of the Resettlement Officer should be sought. Upto 1/16th of a standard acre, i.e. one unit, more or less land may be given to an individual than is due to him, if thereby the splitting of a field can be avoided. If, however, the total holding of an individual is less than l/16th of a standard acre, then whatever area is due must be allotted. The actual splitting of fields will be done at site. Tatima shajras (sketch maps showing amendments) are to be prepared after demarcation of holding' at site.
Allotment of uncultivated land,
groves, hill etc.
31. If in a village there is a considerable area of uncultivated land, as has already been explained, this area will be allotted as a separate grade on a valuation basis. In distributing uncultivated land, care will be taken to see that the larger allottees have proportionately more of it than the smaller allottees. Small banjar areas will be allotted on a valuation basis to allottees whose fields are situated in the neighbourhood. Land shown in the records as ghair mumkin (unculturable) may be given to an allottee whose holding is situated in the neighbourhood without any valuation, when. for example. the supplementary distinction is ghair mumkin khurlian (manger) kotha (mud house), khirmangah (threshing floor). kallar (salt affected area), ret (sand) or rakkar (rocky land). But if the area of ghair mumkin kallar, ret or rakkar exceeds one acre, it should be \ excluded from allotment. In all cases, if the area of land in the form of ghair mumkin pahar (hill), jungle (forest), rasta. (road) chhappar (pond), qabristan (graveyard), etc., exceeds one acre. it is to be excluded from allotment. Land under buildings is not to be allotted. Ordinary trees on agricultural land and small groves will be allotted, but groves exceeding one acre in area will not be allotted.
Where
khasra numbers are to be allotted at site.
32. There are villages in which consolidation operations were completed before the partition of the Province and possession of new holdings had been given and measurement according to the new khasra numbers had taken place but. for lack of the records (due to migration of the revenue personnel), the list of khasra numbers has been prepared from the pre-consolidation revenue record. In such villages khasra numbers should not be allotted. Instead the list of allottees along with the area in standard acres due to each should be completed and the demarcation of khasra numbers should be done later at site, after killabandi (rectangulation on) has been completed. Similarly khasra numbers will be allotted at site where land has been ploughed by means of tractors or on account of river action field boundaries no longer exist. The same course is to be followed if in any village there is a good deal of uncultivated land where field boundaries do not exist.
Errors
in calculation of area.
33. It may happen that while allotting fields it is discovered that-the calculation on which the list of allottees was prepared has not turned out to be absolutely accurate and either a deficit or a surplus has arisen. The orders of the Resettlement Officer should be obtained in such cases. If the surplus is negligible, a report may be submitted after the work of allotment of khasra numbers has been completed.
Statement of khasra numbers
allotted.
34. The khasra numbers allotted to each person will be shown separately in the parcha numberan khasra. Three copies of the statement of khasra numbers allotted to a person have to be prepared, either separately or by means of carbon copies.
Displaced
mortgagors and mortgagees.
35. If any allottee had mortgaged his land with rights of possession to another displaced person, at the end of the statement of khasra numbers the particulars of the mortgagor and the mortgagee will be noted. The mortgagee will be given possession of a portion of the mortgagor's holding. This is calculated in the following manner. A person had mortgaged with possession five standard acres out of a total of 15 standard acres owned by him, i.e. one-third of his holding. On his holding of 15 standard acres his net allotment is 11 standard acres. Possession of one-third of the net allotment, i.e. 3-2/3 standard acres, will be passed to the mortgagee. In other words, possession of that proportion of the net allotment due to a mortgagor will pass to the mortgagee which the area mortgaged reckoned in standard acres bears to the total area of the mortgagor reckoned in standard acres.
36. Mutations have already been dealt with in an earlier paragraph. There are some pending mutations in favour of evacuees, according to which possession had in fact, passed. In other words, the area dealt with in these mutations has already been declared evacuee land available for temporary allotment. In such cases action should be maintained accordingly. In the contrary case, the orders of the Resettlement Officer should be obtained.
Where land is held free of rent or at revenue rates for any reason, even where the entry is not "bila lagan bawaja tasawar milkiyat", the case should be reported to the Resettlement Officer and action taken according to the orders in the particular case or according to general orders which may exist on the subject. The Resettlement Officer will examine the jamabandi and other records and pass the appropriate orders.