Nazool Land | 17 Feb 2024

Why in News?

Recently, in Haldwani city of Nainital District, Uttarakhand violence erupted due to a Demolition Drive conducted by the city administration to remove Encroachment at the site of a mosque and madrasa, allegedly on Nazool Land.

  • As per the administration, the property where the two structures are situated is registered as the Municipal Council’s Nazool land.

Key Points

  • Nazool land is owned by the government but 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.
  • The government generally uses Nazool land for public purposes like building schools, hospitals, Gram Panchayat buildings, etc.

Encroachment

  • It is the unauthorised use or occupation of someone else’s property.
  • This can occur on abandoned or unused spaces if the legal owner is not actively involved in its upkeep.
  • It is important for property owners to be aware of the legal steps to take and their rights in such cases.
  • This could include illegal construction, squatting, or any other form of occupation without proper permission or legal rights.
  • Land encroachment, as defined by Section 441 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, is the act of unlawfully entering someone else’s property without permission to commit an offence, threaten possession of the property, or stay on the land uninvited.