The Himachal Pradesh Land Tenancy and Land Reforms Amendment Bill, 2025, proposing changes to provisions related to Section 118, has been referred to a select committee following a deadlock in the State Assembly during the winter session held at Tapovan. The bill could not be passed amid opposition objections, prompting the House to send it for further examination before it is reintroduced in the next session.
The State Assembly Secretariat has issued a notification constituting the select committee to study the bill in detail. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi has been appointed as the chairperson of the committee.
Other members of the committee include Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, BJP MLAs Sukhram Chaudhary, Satpal Singh Satti, Randhir Sharma and Trilok Jamwal, and Congress MLAs Ashish Butail, Sanjay Rattan and Harish Janartha.
The amendment bill aims to simplify several provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Land Tenancy and Land Reforms Act. Among the key proposals are exemptions allowing agricultural cooperative societies to lease land, a 10-year exemption for non-agriculturists in rural areas to rent buildings, and relief from obtaining fresh permission under Section 118 after the transfer of flats constructed on land acquired under the same provision.
During the discussion in the Assembly, the opposition demanded that the bill be withdrawn or referred to a select committee, arguing that the proposed amendments could affect the interests of Himachal Pradesh. With no consensus emerging in the House, the government agreed to send the bill for detailed scrutiny.
Following the Assembly’s decision, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania nominated the members of the select committee, leading to the issuance of the official notification. The committee is expected to deliberate on the provisions and submit its recommendations before the bill is taken up again in the Assembly.
