Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 08 September 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has called upon the Administration to introduce immediate reforms in the procedure for sub-division of landholdings under the A&N Islands Land Revenue and Land Reforms Regulation, 1966, citing increasing hardships faced by citizens.
While appreciating the recent citizen-friendly initiatives, including digitalisation of services and improved transparency in revenue administration, the MP expressed concern that the current process for land sub-division has become unnecessarily complicated, leading to difficulties for ordinary landholders across the territory.
Highlighting the statutory importance of land sub-division under Sections 84 and 148 of the Regulation, Mr. Ray noted that most applications arise from inheritance or transfer of shares through purchase. In the absence of timely sub-division, heirs and purchasers continue to remain co-tenants on record, which often results in avoidable disputes and litigation.
He further pointed out that the Revenue Department has recently begun insisting on proposals prepared strictly in the form of Field Measurement Books (FMB) by private surveyors. According to the MP, this practice has caused frequent discrepancies, rejections, harassment, and even allegations of unfair practices.
To address these challenges, Mr. Ray suggested the following measures:
- Applications based on succession or purchase should be processed promptly on the strength of Record-of-Rights entries, supported by simple sketches or consent notes.
- Final measurement, demarcation and certification must be carried out by official Survey and Land Records staff to ensure accuracy and transparency.
- The practice of mandating private FMB-based proposals should be discontinued to avoid citizen inconvenience and maintain public trust.
Emphasizing that sub-division is not a technical hurdle but an essential tool to minimise disputes, improve land governance and strengthen digital land records, the MP urged the Chief Secretary of A&N Administration to intervene and issue clear directions for streamlining the process. He stressed that the Revenue Department must perform its statutory duties in a transparent and citizen-friendly manner.
