Chandigarh, Mar 22 (PTI) Ten Bills were passed in the Haryana Assembly on Tuesday, including one which is aimed to settle old land litigations.

Chief Minister M L Khattar later told reporters that people used to donate or gift their land to the government for developmental schemes 50 years ago.

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These donations and gifts were given with verbal consent, nothing was given in writing, he added.

"However, today their present generations go to court and claim that the donated or gifted land belongs to them and public utility properties built on these lands should be dismantled. Therefore, giving relief from such litigations, The Haryana Prohibition of Change of Public Utilities Bill, 2022 has been brought," he said.

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According to a government statement, people have generously provided land for public use in the state for roads, paths, canals etc. Public funds have been spent on these works. These persons have allowed public use of the land without any objection for a long period.

However, due to the rise in price of land, some individuals or institutions started claiming their rights on such land. Not only this, they started disturbing or damaging these public utility structures by claiming their rights on the land. This has led to poor road connectivity, water supply disruption and other administrative problems.

Therefore, it was felt necessary to bring law in the public interest, it said.

The Bill will apply to public utility installations such as roads, paths, canals, drains, etc., which have been in existence for 20 years or more.

If any person disturbs a public utility, the District Collector may direct that public utility structure to be restored to its original condition and recover the cost of restoration from such person.

An appeal can be filed before the Divisional Commissioner within 90 days against the order passed by the Collector and within 90 days before the Financial Commissioner against the order of the Divisional Commissioner.

Whoever disturbs or alters a public utility shall be punished with imprisonment for a term up to six months, or with fine which shall not be less than Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, or with both. No person shall be entitled to claim any damages or compensation in lieu of the prohibitions or restrictions contained in this Bill.

The Assembly also passed the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Bill, 2022 to make necessary provisions in the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1988 so as to provide the concession of parole or furlough to the convicted prisoners.

The process of granting parole has been simplified.

Earlier, only those prisoners who have their own house were granted parole once in three years for four weeks only to repair the house. Those prisoners who have agricultural land were granted parole for six weeks in a year for farming. However, this provision has been removed now, as per the statement.

Prisoners who are convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act or on charges of sedition or murder with rape or murder with robbery or ransom or extortion will not be granted furlough.

In the present Bill, there was a provision to provide parole of 10 weeks in a calendar year to all prisoners fulfilling the conditions, whereas now all prisoners can be granted parole for a maximum of ten weeks in calendar a year without any condition. Prisoners can get it up to a maximum of two times in a calendar year, it said.

In the present bill, the period of furlough is three weeks for the first time and thereafter it is given for two weeks per year, whereas now a provision has been made to grant furlough for three weeks every year.

Also, when a prisoner has completed three-fourths of his sentence or a prisoner undergoing life imprisonment has completed his actual sentence of ten years, he will be given furlough of four weeks every year.

Earlier police verification had to be done every time before grant of parole or furlough to a prisoner, but now a provision has been made for police verification only once in a calendar year so that the cases of temporary release of prisoners can be disposed of in a time bound manner.

In the present bill, in the event of the prisoners on parole or furlough not surrendering on time or in the event of committing an offence while on parole, they are kept in the category of hardcore and their parole release case is considered after five years.

But now, failing to surrender, the prisoner shall be punished with imprisonment which shall not be less than two years and which may extend to three years and a fine up to Rs 1 lakh. Similarly, if a prisoner commits an offence during parole will come under the category of hardcore prisoner.

Apart from these amendments, new provisions have also been made in the Bill as per which in the present Act, there is a provision of custody parole only for the hardcore prisoners to attend the death or marriage of any of their family members, whereas now this provision has been made for prisoners of all categories.

Similarly, at present there was no provision of parole/furlough to the prisoners sentenced to imprisonment till natural death. But now a provision has been made to grant parole to the prisoners sentenced to imprisonment till natural death after spending seven years of actual sentence.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)