Archaic land law a bane to India
Millions affected by land disputes across the country
India’s convoluted, contradictory land laws need an urgent overhaul, suggested a New Delhi-based thinktank to Reuters.
A solution to land conflict is one of the foremost policy challenges for India, according to Namita Wahi, head of the Land Rights Initiative at Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
“Competing historical and policy narratives of property rights have resulted in numerous, conflicting laws, leading to legal disputes,” she said.
“The problem is compounded by administrative failure to comply with the rule of law.”
India now has more than 1,200 laws related to land, some dating to the colonial era more than a century ago, said Wahi.
More: Bengaluru among top Asian cities for real estate investors
“No government has ever attempted to rationalize existing land laws. But this is the need of the hour,” she said.
A fourth of cases decided in India’s Supreme Court have been related to land, further CPR research showed.
The thinktank’s findings square with a preponderance of data showing that contentious land laws affect an untold number of people in India.
About two thirds of all civil cases in the country were related to land and property, Reuters reported, citing data from the legal advocacy group Daksh.
Meanwhile, Land Conflict Watch is reporting that eight million people in the country are affected by 700 land disputes, many of which have gone to court.
Recommended
6 sights to spot in Jardine’s Lookout, Hong Kong
With its sumptuous harbour vistas, this low-density area is one of the most sought-after in Hong Kong
Meet the architect rethinking disability in urban spaces and how cities can be reimagined
Author David Gissen outlines his vision for urban development that takes the needs of disabled citizens into consideration
Why Asia’s mixed-use developments are the future of real estate
Dynamic integrated communities are fusing real estate with commercial, leisure, and other amenities
Transforming cities worldwide: Surbana Jurong’s vision for the future
Surbana Jurong excels in master planning, infrastructure, and urban development