32 years ago Sundaram bought a 7 hectares of agricultural land in Pundalsar, Bikaner. The sale deed bore the name of Nursaram instead of Sundaram. A clerical mistake resulted in Sundaram’s two sons, Narayanram and Ruparam not receiving any return from the land. For all these years, they have been trying to get this mistake rectified in the revenue records. Three decades down the line, during Nyay Aapke Dwar, all it took was a prompt decision by the SDM to grant relief to the petitioners.
Land is the single most important symbol of wealth in Rural India. It is also often the cause of angst and strife. Rajasthan is no exception. One major challenge in Governance is to reduce pendency in the numbers of revenue court cases, most of which stem from rather petty disputes such as right of way, encroachments, subdivision of land and mutation.
Over the years, revenue administration has become weary and petitions are either not heard or way too many adjournments granted, thereby dragging cases for years to the end. The faith of the citizen in receiving justice is understandably shaken. It is such petty and localized disputes that turn family members and neighbours into foes and at times snowball into inter-sectoral strife.
A brainchild of Rajasthan Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje, the Nyay Apke Dwar campaign is a unique effort in focused attention to resolving revenue court matters. While she holds the view that under ideal circumstances there should not be the need to organize campaigns, she is also pragmatic enough to realize that in a campaign mode, significant reduction in the number of cases can be done and the impact of the campaign would be positive. Nyay Apke Dwar Abhiyan saw more than 20 Lac matters resolved in slightly over 2 months in 2015. Now in its second year, in 20 days, more than 10 Lac revenue cases have been resolved already all over Rajasthan. The timing of the campaign has been chosen so as to coincide with the lean season prior to Kharif.
In Buchiya Bara, Dungarpur, 82 year old Uda Rebari arrived at a revenue camp seeking resolution of 30 year old dispute between his two sons who were fighting over whatever little land Uda Rebari owned. All it took was some counseling by revenue officials who also divided the land equally between the two sons.
4000+ camps have been organised resolving over 11L revenue cases in 20 days. 42 GPs litigation free! #NyayAapkeDwar
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) June 2, 2016
Success of the revenue camps reiterates the importance of sensitivity & compassion in day to day administration. #NyayAapkeDwar
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) June 2, 2016
In two months, record 10 lakh old revenue cases resolved–Families being united, neighbours becoming friends again #NyayAapkeDwar
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) June 2, 2016
Happy to share – II phase of the ‘Revenue Lok Adalat – Nyay Aapke Dwar’ campaign to start from May 9 to July 1, 2016.
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) April 12, 2016
Numerous such examples of conflict resolution and settlement of land related issues are emerging from every district of the State. Settling such issues, not only leads to reduction of tensions but also takes off significant load from both Police and Revenue authorities. In the campaign of 2015, 61 villages of the State were declared ‘litigation free’. By all means, an important if modest achievement, which holds some lessons in Governance. It is vital that day-to-day governance procedures are so enabled that the framework of conflict resolution is an integral part. Repeated adjournments might favor lawyers but not the aggrieved. IT and GIS driven technological solutions should replace improper and archaic record keeping. An exercise to this end is already underway. Pursuing such civil cases for decades has a huge social cost and it is for the administrator to be sensitive to the same and deal with such cases with compassion and with a sense of urgency. Rajasthan’s experience in focused governance is something other states should take note of.
