Himachal Pradesh has amended the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act of 1972 to promote gender equality in landholding, allowing adult daughters to have a separate independent unit of up to 150 bighas of land. The amendment aims to ensure that families with daughters have equal rights in land ownership, removing the unconstitutional clause that promotes gender inequality. This decision will have a long-lasting impact on the socio-economic development of women in the state and will pave the way for a more equitable and just society.
The Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act of 1972, which has been in effect for 51 years, has recently undergone a significant amendment that promotes gender equality in landholding. The state government has taken a momentous step by including adult daughters, both married and unmarried, at par with adult sons in the Act. This landmark decision has been made by inserting the words "or daughter" after the word "son" in sub-section 4 of section 4 of the existing Act.
Under the new amendment, adult daughters will now be permitted to have a separate independent unit of up to 150 bighas of land. Previously, the Act only allowed adult sons to have an additional 150 bighas of land, while denying the same right to adult daughters. With this new amendment, families with adult daughters will have the same land rights as those with adult sons, totalling up to 300 bighas of land.
The Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Act, 2023 bill was introduced in the State Assembly on March 29 and passed on April 3rd, aiming to ensure gender equality in land ownership. This bill paves the way for removing gender discrimination in line with the provisions of the Indian Constitution. The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh has taken a special interest in this regard and was keen to introduce the amendment bill in the current budget session of the state assembly.
The amendment in the Act has been widely welcomed by all sections of society as a positive step towards empowering women in the state. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, a representative of the government, has said that the state government is providing relief to lakhs of families in the state with daughters by making this necessary amendment. The goal of this amendment is to ensure that families with daughters have equal rights in land ownership, removing the unconstitutional clause that promotes gender inequality.
This move towards gender equality in landholding will have a significant impact on the socio-economic development of women in Himachal Pradesh. Women will now have equal opportunities to own and inherit land, which will provide them with a greater sense of economic security and autonomy. This move will also help to break the cycle of gender discrimination, which has been prevalent in the region for many years.
Overall, the decision to amend the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act of 1972 is a positive step towards promoting gender equality in the state. It is a significant move towards breaking the cycle of gender discrimination that has been prevalent for many years. This decision will have a long-lasting impact on the socio-economic development of women in the state and will pave the way for a more equitable and just society.
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