LexThe Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Act, 2021.
Punjab · state statute
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this actGOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB
DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
THE PUNJAB ABADI DEH (RECORD OF RIGHTS) ACT, 2021
(Punjab Act No. 8 of 2021)
(As amended upto 23rd February 2026)
2026
CONTENTS
Preamble
Sections
CHAPTER-I
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
CHAPTER –II
OFFICERS AND POWERS
3. Officers.
4. Superintendence and control of Officers.
CHAPTER –III
SURVEY, MAPPING AND IDENTIFICATION
5. Identification of abadi deh area.
6. Survey and mapping.
CHAPTER –IV
STANDING RECORD OF RIGHTS AND ITS MAKING
7. Standing record of rights.
8. Inquiry by the Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer.
9. Preparation of standing record of rights.
10. Display of record.
11. Raising of objections and decision.
CHAPTER-V
APPEAL, REVIEW AND REVISION
12. Appeals.
13. Review.
14. Revision by Commissioner.
15. Decree or order of the court.
CHAPTER-VI
TRANSFER OF RECORD
16. Transfer of record to the District Collector.
17. Application of Chapter IV of Revenue Act.
CHAPTER-VII
PARTITION
18. Partition of survey units.
19. Disputes as to partition.
CHAPTER – VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
20. Summoning.
21. Presumption in favour of entries in the standing record of rights.
22. Suit for declaratory decree by persons aggrieved by an entry in a record.
23. Correction of clerical errors.
24. Protection of action taken in good faith.
25. Power to remove difficulties.
26. Exclusion of jurisdiction of civil courts.
27. Powers of officers to enter upon land, dwelling and habitation areas, survey
units for the purposes of survey and demarcation.
28. Penalty for destruction, dismantling or removal of survey marks and
demarcation.
29. Power of the Government to make rules.
THE PUNJAB ABADI DEH (RECORD OF RIGHTS) ACT, 2021
(Punjab Act No. 8 of 2021)
[Received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 26 th day of March, 2021 ,
and was first published for general information in Punjab Government Gazette
(Extraordinary), Legislative Supplement, dated the 1st April, 2021.]
1. 2. 3. 4.
Year No. Short Title Whether repealed or
otherwise affected by the
legislation
2021 8 THE PUNJAB ABADI
DEH (RECORD OF
RIGHTS) ACT, 2021
1. Amended by Punjab
Act no.3 of 2026.
AN ACT to provide for recording and resolving of proprietary rights of abadi deh
area in the revenue estates and for matters connected therewith or incidental
thereto.
WHEREAS, the abadi deh area in Punjab has remained without
recording of rights of the proprietors, preparation of record, or the marking of
boundaries by carrying out a survey. This has over the years resulted in disputes
about demarcation of boundaries and identification of rights in the dwelling and
other areas; besides causing hardship in the effective transfer of rights;
WHEREAS, the object of this Act is to identify, record and resolve
the existing rights of the proprietors within the abadi deh by a process of
ascertaining the person(s) best entitled to be recorded as proprietor; bes ides,
demarcating, delineating the boundaries and areas of each survey unit. It is to
create a presumption of truth in the records so prepared.
WHEREAS, the preparation of this record would provide for
development of the abadi deh tha t preserves the heritage of the village to the
extent possible, provide and upgrade civic services and environment in villages to
integrate them with planned urban development, enhance the land value by
improving the lay out and provide a road map for deve lopment norms for villages
in an easy and simple manner.
BE it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Seventy -second
year of the Republic of India, as follows: -
CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY
1. (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Abadi deh (Record of Rights) Act,
2021.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Punjab.
(3) It shall come into force with immediate effect:
Provided that it shall come into effect for the abadi deh area falling within
the limits of a municipal area on the date as may be notified in this regard.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, -
(a) “Abadi deh” means the site recorded as such in the Record of Rights
prepared and mai ntained under the Revenue Act, which is not
assessed to land revenue and includes such land in a municipal area;
(b) “Appointed day” means the first day of January, 2021;
(c) “Assistant Recording a nd Resolution Officer” means a Revenue
Officer not below the rank of Naib -Tehsildar under the Revenue Act
or the Executive Officer of the municipal body notified to perform
functions under this Act;
Short title,
extent and
commence-
ment.
Definitions.
(d) “Chief Recording and Resolution Officer” means the Collector of
the district unde r the Revenue Act, notified to perform functions under
this Act;
(e) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the division under the
Revenue Act, notified to perform functions under this Act;
(f) “Common area” means an area or building within the abadi deh used
for any common need, convenience or benefit of the community and
includes roads, paths, streets, public parks, dr ains, public toilets,
ponds and tanks, wells, water course s, play grounds, bus stand or
waiting places, places used for public sittings and gatherings or for
any such other purposes used by the inhabitants, and any vacant site
or plot not owned by any person; but does not include a building or
area which houses an institution under the control of the Central or
State Government;
(g) “Financial Com missioner” means the Financial Commissioner,
Revenue in the Government notified to perform the functions under
this Act;
(h) “Government” means the Government of Punjab in the Department of
Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management;
(i) “Municipal body” means a body constituted under the Punjab
Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 (Punjab Act No. 42 of 1976) or the
Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 (Punjab Act No. 3 of 1911);
(j) “Notification or notified” means a notification published by the
Government in the Official Gazette;
(k) “Panchayat” means a Gr am Panchayat constituted under the Punjab
Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 (Punjab Act No. 9 of 1994);
(l) “Prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(m) “Proprietary right” means the right of ownership recorded in the
name of a person, panchayat, m unicipal body, Central or State
Government, juristic person or any other entity but does not include the
rights of a tenant, lessee, mortgagee or any other right which does not
confer ownership;
(n) “Recording and Resolution Officer” means a revenue officer not
below the rank of Sub -Divisional Magistrate notified to perform
functions under this Act;
(o) “Revenue Act” me ans the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887(Punjab
Act No. XVII of 1887);
(p) “Revenue Officer” means a revenue officer exercising the powers
under the Revenue Act;
(q) “Survey Officer” means an officer appointed by the Government to
act and perform functions under this Act;
(r) “Survey unit” means the area within the abadi deh, to which a survey
number is assigned under this Act;
(s) “Village Committee” means the committee nominated in the village
or municipal area, as the case may be, by the Assistant Recording and
Resolution Officer, with its composition as prescribed to identify the
ownership of survey units and common areas set apa rt for common
purposes within the abadi deh; and
(t)Words and expressions used in this Act but not defined herein have the
meanings assigned to them under the Revenue Act.
CHAPTER II
OFFICERS AND POWERS
3. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, there shall be the following officers
notified to perform the functions and exercise powers under this Act, namely: -
(a) Financial Commissioner;
(b) Commissioner;
(c) Chief Recording and Resolution Officer;
(d) Recording and Resolution Officer;
(e) Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer; and
(f) Survey Officer.
(2) Subject to the provision of this Act, the officers mentioned in clauses
(b), (c), (d) and (e) of sub -section (1) shall have, for the purposes of discharging
their functions under this Act, the same powers as are vested in a civil court under
the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in respect of the following matters, namely: -
(i) the summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and
examining him;
(ii) requiring the discovery and production of documents;
Officers.
(iii) receiving evidence on affidavit;
(iv) subject to the provisions of sections 123 and 124 of the Indian
Evidence Act, 1872, requisitioning any public record or document or
copy of such record or document from any office; and
(v) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents.
4. (1) The superintendence and control over all officers in their
administrative functioning under this Act shall vest in the Financial
Commissioner, and all such officers shall be subordinate to him.
(2) Subject to the superintendence and control of the Financial
Commissioner, the Chief Recording and Resolution Officer shall control all
other officers under this Act, in his district.
(3) Subject as aforesaid and to the control of the Chief Recording and
Resolution Officer, the Recording and Resolution Officer shall control all other
officers under this Act, in his sub-division.
CHAPTER III
SURVEY, MAPPING AND IDENTIFICATION
5. The Government may, by notification, specify any abadi deh in a district,
sub-division of a district, municipal area or a village as an area for the purpose of
identifying, recording and resolving the rights in each survey unit.
6. (1) The Government shall appoint a Survey Officer for each area notified
under section 5 to conduct a survey in the manner as may be prescribed.
Superintendence
and control of
Officers.
Identification
of abadi deh
area.
Survey and
mapping.
(2) The Government, upon notifying areas of which the standing record of
rights within an abadi deh is to be prepared, shall itself or through a notified
agency get a survey conducted and mapping done of such area to determine the
boundary of the abadi deh , define the area and dimensions of each survey unit,
and assign a unique survey number to each such unit.
(3) The survey reports and maps prepared of the area shall be submitted to
the Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer for the purpose of preparing the
standing record of rights in the survey units.
CHAPTER -IV
STANDING RECORD OF RIGHTS AND ITS MAKING
7. There shall be a standing record of rights for each abadi deh area , which
shall comprise the following, namely: -
(i) the record of proprietary rights of each survey unit prepared under
this Chapter;
(ii) the survey reports and maps prepared under Chapter III with
dimensions;
(iii) the record of proceedings of the meet ings of the village committee;
and
(iv) such other document as may be prescribed or notified.
Standing
record of
rights.
8. (1) The Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer, on his being
designated as such, shall constitute a village committee for identifying the
proprietary rights of the proprietors in the survey units.
(2) The Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer, in respect of the
abadi deh of which the standing record of rights is to be prepared, shall i nform the
inhabitants of the area, in the manner prescribed, about the proposal to prepare
such record for each of the survey unit.
9. (1) The Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer, after delibe rations
and consultations with the village committee and hearing the parties interested,
shall, in a summary manner, and as may be prescribed, record the proposed
entries of proprietors and their proprietary rights and of the boundaries of the
survey unit in the standing record of rights, as on the appointed day.
(2) The entry of proprietor and his or its proprietary rights shall be
recorded by the Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer in the name of –
(i) the owner of the built up dwelling and residential areas including its
open or enclosed court yards, other vacant land and plots of owners
not being a common area, shops and other establishments;
(ii) the panchayat and the municipal body for the common area, vacant
land or plot not owned by any person; and
(iii) the Central, State Go vernment, juristic person or other entity in
respect of the land or institutions owned by it.
Inquiry by
the Assistant
Recording
and
Resolution
Officer.
Preparation
of standing
record of
rights.
(3) In the conduct of exercise under sub -sections (1) and (2) if a survey
unit is found to be sub-divided, which escaped the attention of the Survey
Officer, the Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer shall assign a
unique number to each such survey unit.
10. The survey map prepared by the Survey Officer under s ection 6 and the
record of entries of proprietors in a survey unit prepared under section 9, shall be
displayed at a conspicuous place in the village and a copy thereof supplied to the
Panchayat through the Sarpanch of the village or the Chief Executive of the
municipal body, as the case may be, in the manner, as may be prescribed.
11. (1) A person aggrieved by the demarcation of any boundary in the survey
record, or an entry regarding the proprietary rights in the standing record of rights
in a survey unit, may, 1[within such time, as may be notified by the Government ],
file objections abo ut the correctness thereof before the Assistant Recording and
Resolution Officer.
(2) The Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer after hearing the parties
and perusing the record, if any, shall make necessary correction of the boundaries
in t he survey map, and ascertain the person best entitled to be recorded as the
proprietor in the survey unit, and 2[within such time, as may be notified by the
Government] under sub -section (1), pass an order in this regard by recording
reasons.
1 Substituted by Punjab Act no.3 of 2026, section 2(i).
2 Substituted by Punjab Act no.3 of 2026, section 2(ii).
Display of
record.
Raising of
objections
and
decision.
Explanation - The recording of the proprietary rights of a person in a survey unit
shall not be conclusive proof of ownership and shall be subject to corrections and
alterations in appeal or revision under this Act as also the rights so determined by a
judgment and order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(3) An entry recorded in the standing record of rights under section 9, if no
objection is filed within the period provided under sub -section (1), shall be treated
as final.
(4) The Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer shall thereafter in the
manner prescribed, publish the record as finalized, which shall incorporate an order
that may be passed under sub-section (2).
(5) The standing record of rights finalized by the Assistant Rec ording and
Resolution Officer shall be amended or modified in the event of an order passed
under sub -section (4) is set aside, modified or reversed in appeal, review or
revision.
CHAPTER - V
APPEAL, REVIEW AND REVISION
12. (1) Any person aggrieved by an order passed by the Assistant Recording
and Resolution Officer under section 11 may, within thirty days of the passing of
such order, file an appeal before the Recording and Resolution Officer.
(2) The Recording and Resolutio n Officer after hearing the parties
interested and likely to be affected either accept the appeal or dismiss the same by
passing a reasoned order.
Appeals.
(3) Any person aggrieved by an order passed by the Recording and
Resolution Officer under sub-section (2) may, within thirty days of the passing of
such order, appeal to the Chief Recording and Resolution Officer, who shall after
hearing the parties interested and likely to be affected either accept the appeal or
dismiss the same by passing a reasoned order.
(4) Appeals under sub -sections (2) and (3) shall be decided by the
Recording and Resolution Officer and the Chief Recording and Resolution Officer,
as the case may be, 1[within such time, as may be notified by the Government ,]
from the date the respondent puts in appearance after notice or is proceeded against
ex-parte unless for reasons to be recorded in writing it is directed otherwise.
(5) An appellate authority shall not remand a case except where it is
established from the record that an adverse order has been passed against a
necessary party who was not duly served.
13. The Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer, the Recording and
Resolution Officer and the Chief Recording and Resolution Officer , may within
sixty days of the order sought to be reviewed either on their own motion or on the
application of a party interested, after notice to the party likely to be affected and
giving reasonable hearing, review, and on so reviewing, modify, reverse o r confirm
any order passed by himself or his predecessor in office:
Provided that -
1 Substituted by Punjab Act No. 3 of 2026, section 3.
Review.
i. when an Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer finds it necessary
to review any order, he shall first obtain the sanction of the Recording
and Resolution Officer;
ii. when a Recording and Resolution Officer finds it necessary to review
any order, he shall first obtain the sanction of the Chief Recording and
Resolution Officer;
iii. when a Chief Recording and Resolution Officer finds it necessary to
review any order, he shall fi rst obtain the sanction of the
Commissioner;
iv. when any such order is modified or reversed on review by the
Assistant Recording and Resolution Officer, or the Recording and
Resolution Officer, an appeal shall lie against the order of the Assistant
Recording and Resolution Officer to the Recording and Resolution
Officer, and from the order of the Recording and Resolution Officer to
the Chief Recording and Resolution Officer, and the order on such
appeal shall be final;
v. an order against which an appeal or re vision has been preferred shall
not be reviewed; and
vi. an appeal shall not lie from an order refusing or granting permission
to review or confirming on review a previous order.
14. The Commissioner may, on an application of an aggrieved party, within sixty
days of an order being passed, call for and examine the records relating to any
order passed or proceedings taken under this Act for the purpose of satisfying
himself as to the legality or propriety of such order or proceedin gs and after
Revision by
Commissioner.
hearing the affected parties, may pass such order in relation thereto as he may
deem fit and modify, reverse or confirm any order passed under this Act.
15. An order of an officer passed under this Act shall be subject to a decree or
order which may be passed by a court of competent jurisdiction.
CHAPTER-VI
TRANSFER OF RECORD
16. After preparation and finalization of the standing record of rights of the
abadi deh area, it shall be attested by the Assistant Recording and Resolution
Officer and transferred to the District Collector for maintaining and revising it
under the Revenue Act.
17. The provisions of Chapter IV of the Revenue Act after transfer of the record
under section 16 shall apply mutatis mutandis to such record.
CHAPTER VII
PARTITION
18. A partition of survey units comprised in abadi deh may be allowed by a
Revenue Officer after the standing record -of-rights has been transferred, and only
if the partition has been affirmed by all interested parties with a map showing the
proposed partition signed by all persons having proprietary rights:
Decree or
order of the
court.
Transfer of
record to the
District
Collector.
Application of
Chapter IV of
Revenue Act.
Partition of
survey units.
Provided that the Revenue Officer after examining such of the co -
proprietors of the survey unit and other persons may, if he is of the opinion that the
survey unit is impartible or the partition is impractical and there is good and
sufficient cause why partition should be disallowed, refuse to partition the survey
unit by recording the grounds of his refusal.
19. An application for the partition of a survey unit, in the event of a dispute,
shall not lie before the Revenue Officer and the party aggrieved may approach the
civil court for partition.
CHAPTER-VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
20. (1) A summons issued by an officer appointed under this Act shall be
served-
(i) personally, on the person to whom it is addressed , or failing him;
(ii) his recognized agent; or
(iii) an adult member of his family usually residing with him.
(2) A summons may also be served by pasting a copy thereof at the usual
or last known place of residence of the person to whom it is addressed.
(3) A summons may, if an offic er appointed under this Act so directs, be
served on the person named therein, either in addition to, or in substitution for, any
other mode of service, by forwarding the summons by post in a letter addressed to
Disputes as
to partition.
Summoning.
the person and registered under Chapter VI o f the Indian Post Office Act, 1898
(Central Act VI of 1898), or sent through a reputed courier agency notified by the
Government in this regard.
(4) When a summons is so forwarded in a letter, and it is proved that the
letter was properly addressed and duly posted and registered, the officer appointed
under this Act may presume that the summons was served at the time when receipt
of its delivery is furnished:
Provided that in case of a letter sent through registered post, its delivery may
be pr esumed after thirty days if it is not received back undelivered within this
period.
(5) A summons may also be served on the person named therein by
publication of the contents thereof in a daily Punjabi newspaper having wide
circulation:
Provided that if the summons relates to a case in which persons having the
same interest are so numerous that personal service on all of them is not reasonably
practicable, it may, in the first instance and if the officer appointed under this Act
so directs, be served by delivery of a copy thereof to such of those persons as the
officer appointed under this Act nominates in this behalf, and by publication of the
contents thereof in a daily Punjabi newspaper having wide circulation, for the
information of the other persons interested.
(6) The summons may also be served through Short Message Service,
email, or through other electronic modes at the phone number or e -mail address
otherwise known or made known, to the officer appointed under this Act:
Provided that if service is effected through any of the above modes, a
printout of the delivery of summons shall be placed on the record .
(7) A notice, order of proclamation or copy of any such document, issued
by an officer under this Act for service on a ny person shall be served in the manner
provided in this section for the service of a summons.
(8) Any of the modes of service provided in sub -sections (2), (3), (5) or
(6) may be adopted simultaneously in addition to the mode of service provided in
sub-section (1).
21. Any entry made in a standing record -of-rights in accordance with the
provisions of this Act shall be presumed to be true until the contrary is proved or a
new entry is lawfully substituted therefor.
22. If any person considers himself aggrieved as to any right of which he is in
possession by an entry in a standing record -of-rights, he may institute a suit for a
declaration of his right under Chapter VI of the Specific Relief Act, 1963(Central
Act No. 47 of 1963).
Presumption
in favour of
entries in the
standing
record of
rights.
Suit for
declaratory
decree by
persons
aggrieved by
an entry in a
record.
23. The clerical or arithmetical mistakes in any order passed by any officer
under this Act may, at any time be corrected by the authority concerned either of
its own motion or on the application of any of the parties and an intimation of such
correction shall be made to the parties free of any charges and also to the
concerned officer for its implementation.
24. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any officer
under this Act or any official acting under the directions of such officer, for
anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under the provisions of
this Act or any rule made thereunder.
25. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act,
the Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, make such
provision, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act as appear to it to be
necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty:
Provided that no such order shall be made after the expiry of a p eriod of
two years from the date of commencement of this Act.
(2) Every order made under this section shall, as soon as may be, after it
is made, be laid before the State Legislature.
26. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, no civil court shall entertain any
suit instituted or application made to obtain a decision or order in respect of any
Correction of
clerical
errors.
Protection
of action
taken in
good faith.
Power to
remove
difficulties.
Exclusion
of
jurisdiction
of civil
courts.
matter which the Government or any officer is by this Act empowered to determine
or dispose of.
27. The officers under this Act and any person acting under their orders may, in
the discharge of any duty under this Act, en ter upon and survey land in the manner
prescribed, put and erect survey marks thereon and demarcate the boundaries
thereof and do all other such acts necessary for the proper performance of that
duty.
28. (1) If any person willfully destroys, dismantles or without lawful
authority removes a survey or demarcation mark lawfully erected or put, he may be
ordered by the Recording and Resolution Officer to pay such fine not exceeding
rupees one thousand for each mark so destroyed, dismantled or removed, as may,
in the opinion of that officer, be necessary to defray the expenses of restoring the
same and rewarding the person, if any, who gave information of the destruction,
dismantling or removal.
(2) The amount of fine levied under sub -section (1), if not paid in the
manner prescribed, shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue under the
Revenue Act.
Powers of
officers to
enter upon
land
,dwelling
and
habitation
areas ,
survey units
for the
purposes of
survey and
demarcation
Penalty for
destruction,
dismantling
or removal
of survey
marks and
demarcation
.
(3) The imposition of a fine under this section shall not bar a prosecution
under section 434 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Central Act No. 45 of 1860); or
prosecution of the offender under any other law for the time being in force.
29. (1) The Government may, by notification, in the Official Gazette, make
rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing
powers, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters under this
Act, namely: -
(a) the composition and members of the village committee;
(b) the appointment or nomination of officers under this Act for carrying
out its intent and purpose;
(c) the documents to be comprised in the standing record of rights;
(d) the manner in which the standing records of rights is to be prepared,
displayed and published;
(e) the procedure for the transfer of the standing records -of-rights
prepared under this Act to the revenue authorities under the Revenue
Act;
(f) the procedure for the imposition and deposit of fine imposed by the
Recording and Resolution Officer for willfully destroying,
dismantling or without lawful authority removing a survey
demarcation mark;
Power of the
Government
to make
rules.
(g) the forms for the service of summons, display, publication,
preparation and maintenance of records under this Act;
(h) the manner in which boundaries of all or any survey unit are to be
demarcated and the survey marks to be erected thereon;
(i) for issuing of copies and certified copies, including digitized copies of
record, order and documents prepared and maintained under this Act
and the rules made thereunder; and
(j) any other matter for giving effect to the provisions of this Act, or may
be prescribed under this Act.