Bill to fix land revenue, environment cess tabled

The state government today tabled the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Assembly to amend the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act, 1954. The Bill has a provision to carry out special assessment of non-agriculture government land, particularly forestland diverted for non-forest use like hydroelectric projects, to fix land revenue. There’s also a provision for levying environment cess on the land revenue fixed by the government through special assessment.

Until now, the land revenue was collected from the owners of agriculture land, which was very nominal. The amendment to the original Act will not affect the owners of agriculture land.

As per the Bill, the revenue fixed by the government will not exceed four per cent of the average market value of the land. And in the case of sites lying vacant and out of use, the land revenue will not exceed one per cent of the average market value.

The government may levy and collect environment cess not exceeding two per cent of the land revenue assessed through special assessment. An environment fund will be created through the collected cess, which will be used for taking initiatives for environment protection in the state. As per the Bill, if any landowner fails to pay land revenue or cess, he shall be liable to pay interest on that amount at the rate of one per cent per month.

The Bill also ensures legal protection for revenue officers and other authorised individuals acting in good faith under the Act.