Majority Report of the Committee Constituted to ... - Forest Rights Act

Majority Report of the POSCO Enquiry Committee Section 1: Land Tenure
SECTION 1
Part A
Land Tenure History, Ecology and Socio-Cultural Aspects of the
Project area in Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa
I. Land Tenure and Tenancy History going back to the beginning of
the 19th century
1. The Project area falls within the three Gram Panchayats of
Dhinkia, Govindpur and Nuagaon, Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur
District. This district is one of the 30 districts of the state located on the
eastern coastal tract adjoining Bay of Bengal. Earlier it was part of
undivided Cuttack and was carved out as a new district in 1992. This
area belonged to the ex-estate of Kujanga (Bhurdwan ex-estate).
II. History of Kujang Ex-Estate
2. This Quilla was permanently settled under Regulation XII of
1805. It covered an area of 369 sq miles (955.673 sq kms) containing the
main estuary of the Mahanadi river (Orissa District Gazetteer, Cuttack,
1906, 1933 and1992). The Sendha family created the Quilla and held it
from 1643-1868 after subduing the neighbouring chiefs. On the advent
of the British, the Raja executed an agreement for payment of Peshkush
of 11, 503 which was reduced to 7,503 in 1883, on the Raja agreeing to
keep the embankments in repair and construct new ones wherever
necessary. (District Gazeteer, Cuttack, 1996, page 549) (Annexure B1).
After the Great Famine in 1866 the Sendha family fell into debts and the
estate was then sold for 3.5 lakhs of rupees to the Maharaja of
Bhurdman who held it till abolition under the estates Abolition Act,
1952. The estate was under the Court of Wards from 1885-1902. In 1887
the estate was surveyed with rearrangements of village units into 461.
These villages were reduced to 408 in the last settlement as a result of
amalgamation and division.
3. In the 1887 survey, no record writing or rent settlement was
made. In Dalziel settlement an amicable settlement was made amounting
to Rs 1, 19,595. Rents were high and average rent under occupancy
holding was Rs2-5-0 (Rs 2.31) per acre. The rent charged for betel garden
of which there were many, varied from 50- 75 per acre. This is also
indicates how far back betel gardens were established in this area.