‘Entries to have evidentiary value’
By: Ibni Maqbool
Srinagar: The administration of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday unveiled the rules governing issuance and applicability of land pass books to landowners in the Union Territory.
According to “The Jammu & Kashmir Land Passbook Rules-2022”, the entries made in pass books under these rules shall be presumed true and correct until the contrary is proved.
The rules state that the entries in the pass book shall carry the same evidentiary value as if these were certified copies of the record-of-rights and other public record for all intents and purposes before the courts and the financial institutions including banks.
“The land pass book may be used as a document for grant of any financial assistance by any financial institution,” the rules state.
According to the rules, a financial institution granting any financial assistance to the holder of land pass book shall inform the issuing authority i.e. tehsildar concerned.
“ The tehsildar concerned on receipt of the information from the financial institution shall make an appropriate entry in the revenue records including land pass book and the entries so made shall have the effect of creating the charge in favour of the financial institution on the holding against which the entry has been made and the holder of pass book shall be debarred from alienating the said holding until the outstanding amount of the financial assistance granted by the financial institution has been repaid together with interest due (if any) thereon,” the rules state.
As per rules, each revenue village in the tehsil of the Union Territory shall be the unit for issuance of land pass book to a landholder.
“The deputy commissioner of the district shall cause to prepare land pass book for every landholder of the revenue estate in his district as per form IV appended to these rules to enable the landholder to make its use for credit facilities and for other matters connected with or incidental thereto,” the rules state.