NAZOOL
LAND – GEOGRAPHY
News:
What is Nazool land,
behind recent dispute and violence in Haldwani?
What's
in the news?
●
Violence erupted in the city of Haldwani
in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district, after the administration conducted a
demolition drive at the site of a mosque and madrasa allegedly on Nazool land,
killing five and injuring many more.
Nazool
Land:
●
Nazool land is owned by the government but is most often not directly administered as
state property.
●
The state generally allots such land to
any entity on lease for a fixed period,
generally between 15 and 99 years.
●
In case the lease term is expiring, one
can approach the authority to renew the lease by submitting a written
application to the Revenue Department of the local development authority.
●
The
government is free to either renew the lease or cancel it, taking back Nazool
land.
●
In almost all major cities in India,
Nazool land has been allotted to different entities for a variety of different
purposes.
Backdrop
of Nazool Land:
●
During British rule, kings and kingdoms
which opposed the British frequently revolted against them, leading to several
battles between them and the British Army.
●
Upon defeating these kings in battle, the
British would often take their land away from them.
●
After India got Independence, the British
vacated these lands.
●
But with kings and royals often lacking
proper documentation to prove prior ownership, these lands were marked as
Nazool land—to be owned by the respective state governments.
Governance:
●
While several states have brought in
government orders for the purpose of framing rules for Nazool land, The Nazool Lands (Transfer) Rules, 1956,
is the law mostly used for Nazool land adjudication.
Usage
of Nazool Land:
●
The government generally uses Nazool land
for public purposes like building schools, hospitals, Gram Panchayat buildings,
etc.
●
Several cities in India have also seen
large tracts of land denoted as Nazool land used for housing societies,
generally on lease.