Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956
The assessment and collection of land revenue is governed under the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956 and the rules made thereunder. Land revenue mainly comprises of rent on land, lease rent, premium, conversion charges payable on use of agricultural land for other purpose, receipts from sales of Government land etc. The administrative power of the Department is vested in the Revenue Department in the Government. The overall control relating to revenue matters vests with the Board of Revenue.
Organisational set up
The powers of administrative department are vested in the Revenue Department in the Government. The overall control relating to revenue related judicial matters along with supervision and monitoring over revenue officers vests with the Board of Revenue (BOR). The BOR is assisted by 33 Collectors at district level, 191 Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) at sub-division level and 244 Tehsildars at tehsil level in all matters relating to assessment and collection of land revenue. BOR is also the State level implementing authority for computerisation of land records in Rajasthan.
A Board of Revenue is established for Rajasthan, The Board of Revenue consists of a Chairman, and not less than three and not more than fifteen other members.The State Government prescribe the qualifications of persons who shall be eligible for appointment as Chairman and member of the Board, the method of their selection for appointment and the condition of their service.All members of the Board of Revenue hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.The headquarters of the Board of Revenue is at Ajmer.The Board of Revenue is the highest revenue court of appeal, revision and reference in Rajasthan.
The Government of India (GOI) introduced a Centrally Sponsored Scheme ―Computerisation of Land Records‖ (CLR) for effective land administration, planning and empowering the people with the right to information. The CLR project was initially started in Rajasthan in 1994-95 in Jaipur and Barmer districts, through a client server model application (Apna Khata) developed by NIC, Jaipur. Later on, the CLR
was extended to all the 33 districts covering 244 tehsils and six additional tehsils of the State in 1996-97. All the tehsils were fully operationalised by end of March 2003 and the additional tehsils by end of June 2005.
Powers and duties of Courts and Officers –
A Commissioner or a Collector or a Sub-Divisional Officer or a Tehsildar shall respectively within his division or district or sub-division or tehsil, exercise all the powers and discharge all the duties conferred and imposed on him by or under Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956 or the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 (Rajasthan Act 3 of 1955) or any other law for the time being in force.
The Settlement Commissioner shall be incharge of all matters related to settlement throughout the State and shall in respect thereof exercise such powers and discharge such duties as are conferred and imposed on him by or under this Act or any other law for the time being in force.
The Director of Land Records is the incharge of all matters relating to survey and the preparation, revision and maintenance of land records throughtout the State and in respect thereof exercise powers and discharge such duties as are conferred and imposed on him by or under this Act or any other law for the time being in force.
A Land Records Officer (Colector or an officer appointed under Chapter VII ), within the area for which he is appointed exercise such powers and perform such duties as are conferred and imposed on him by or under this Act or any other law for the time being in force.
A Settlement Officer or an officer appointed under Chapter VIII shall, within the area for which he is appointed, exercise such powers and perform such duties as are conferred and imposed on him by or under this Act or any other law for the time being in force.