Utilization of land vested in the State Government.- (1) All lands vested in the

State Government under this Act shall be utilized for the following purposes:-

1. (a) an area not less than fifty per cent of the total area vested in the State Government under section 3 of this Act for grazing and other common purposes of the inhabitants of an estate; and
2. (b) the remaining land-
   • (i) for allotment to a landless person 2[,a victim of natural calamities] or any other eligible person; or
   • (ii) for allotment of site to a handicapped or houseless person for the construction of a house; under a scheme to be framed by the State Government by notification in the official Gazette and the allottee shall pay an amount at the rate of forty-eight times of the land revenue and rates and cesses chargeable on the land allotted to him under the said scheme, either in lump sum or in six monthly instalments not exceeding four. (iii)3[for allotment of land to the eligible persons under the schemes notified by the State Government for providing houses to the poorer sections of the society.]

1. (2) The land reserved under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of this section shall be demarcated by such Revenue Officer and in such manner as may be prescribed.
2. (3) Any scheme framed by the State Government under clause (b) of sub-section
3. (1) of this section may provide for the terms and conditions on which the land is to be allotted.
4. (4) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, add to, amend, vary or revoke any scheme made under this section. 4[Explanation.- For the purpose of this section, the expression ‘natural calamities’ shall mean and include calamities caused by floods, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, snow-storms hail-storms, fire, excessive rains, cloud burst, wind storms and lightening.] 3. Added vide Section 6 of Act No.20 of 2001. 4. Added vide Section 2 (b) of Act No.12 of 1997. 1[8-A. Utilization of land for development of the State.- Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 8 of the Act, the State Government 2[or any other officer authorized by the State government in this behalf] may utilize any area of the land vested in it under the Act

¹ Substituted for clause (b) by section 2 of the Amendment Act, 1987.

² Inserted vide Section 2 (a) of Act No.12 of 1997.

3[by transfer whether by way of lease or

exchange to any person] or by transfer to any department of the Government in the interests of the development in the interests of the development of the State, if the State Government

2[or the officer authorized by it] is satisfied that there are

sufficient reasons to do so subject to the condition that land for the purposes mentioned in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 8 in no case shall be less than fifty percent of the land vested in the Government under the Act: Provided that when lands not used by a person for the purpose for which it has been leased, the lease shall stand terminated free from all encumbrances and the Government shall re-enter on the demised premises and lease money if paid to the Government, shall be forfeited and no person shall be entitled to any compensation for any improvement made and for any building constructed thereunder.

4[8-B. Conferment of proprietary rights on Chakotadars.- Not-withstanding anything contained in sections 4 and 5 of this Act, the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, frame a scheme providing for conferment of proprietary rights on Chakotadars, who have been leased out lands on Chakota basis by the Panchayats under the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation)