Punjab Land Improvement Schemes Act 1963

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB 

 

DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS 

 

THE PUNJAB LAND IMPROVEMENT SCHEME ACT, 1963 

 

(PUNJAB ACT 23 OF 1963) 

(As amended upto the 9th February, 2026) 

 

 

 

     

              2026 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



THE PUNJAB LAND IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES ACT, 1963 

        CONTENTS 

Preamble  

Sections 

  CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY. 

1. Short title 

2. Definitions 

 

CHAPTER II 

NOTIFICATION OF AREAS, CONSTITUTION OF DISTRICT LAND 

IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE AND MAKING OF LAND IMPROVEMENT 

SCHEMES. 

3. Notifications of areas. 

4. Constitution, etc., of District Land Improvement Committees. 

5. Functions of District Land Improvement Committees. 

6. Power to enter upon lands to do certain acts. 

7. Approval and publication of Schemes. 

8. Objections to Schemes. 

9. Enquiry into objections and report. 

10. Sanctioning of final scheme. 

11. Publication of final scheme. 

12. Power of District Land Improvement Committees to make regulations. 

      

CHAPTER III 

 EXECUTION OF SCHEMES. 

13. Soil Conservation Officer to execute the scheme. 

14. Power to carry the works under the schemes. 

15. Power of State Government to carry out schemes. 

 

           

 

 



     CHAPTER IV 

MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND USE OF WORKS CARRIED OUT 

UNDER SCHEMES. 

16. Preparation of statement. 

17. Obligation of persons to maintain and repair works. 

18. Decision of disputes relating to works. 

19. Amounts to be recovered. 

CHAPTER V    

    MISCELLANEOUS. 

 20. Penalty 

21. Inquiries to be held summarily. 

22.  Permission to increase rent on account of improvements effected. 

23.  Registration of documents, plans or maps in connection with schemes not required. 

24.  Power to revoke schemes. 

25.  Inspection of documents, etc., and obtaining of copies. 

26.  Delegation. 

27.   Certain Officers to be public servants. 

28.  Protection of acts done in good faith. 

29.  Application of Punjab Act 2 of 1900 not barred. 

30.  Power to make rules. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



           THE PUNJAB LAND IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES ACT, 1963 

                                    (PUNJAB ACT No. 23 of 1963) 

  [Received the assent of the President of India on the 10th May, 1963, and first   

published for general information in the Punjab Government Gazette 

(Extraordinary), Legislative Supplement, Part I, of 18th May, 1963] 

1 2 3 4 

Year No. Short Title Whether affected by Legislation 

1963 23 The Punjab Land 

Improvement 

Schemes Act,1963 

1.Amended by the adaptation of Punjab Laws 

Order ,1970 

2.Amended by Punjab Act No.25 of 2017 

 

An Act to provide for the making and execution of land improvement schemes 

including schemes for soil conservation ,improvement of soil resources  ,prevention 

or mitigation of soil erosion, protection of land against damage by floods or 

draught, farm drainage or other works incidental to ,or connected with, such 

purposes. 

BE it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Fourteenth Year of the 

Republic of  India as follows :- 

     CHAPTER I 

           PRELIMINARY 

 

1. This Act may be called the Punjab Land Improvement Schemes Act, 1963. 

 

2. In this Act ,unless the context otherwise requires,- 
(a) "Deputy Commissioner" means the Officer appointed for the time being 

Short Title. 

Definitions. 



to be the Deputy Commissioner of a District, and includes any other 

officer authorised by the State Government by notification to perform the 

functions of a Deputy Commissioner under this Act and the rules made 

thereunder; 

(b) "Director" means the Officer appointed for the time being to be the 

Director of Agriculture, and includes any other officer authorised by the 

State Government by notification to perform the functions of the Director 

under this Act and the rules made thereunder; 

(c) "District Land Improvement Committee" means a Committee constituted 

under section 4 ; 

(d) "erosion" means the removal or displacement of earth, stones or other 

materials by the action of wind or water ; 

(e) "Enquiry Officer" means an officer of the State Government appointed 

by a District Land Improvement Committee under sub section (3) of 

section 7; 

(f) "landowner " has the same meaning as is assigned to it in the Punjab 

Land Revenue Act,1887 

(g) "notified area" means any area declared to be a notified area under 

section 3; 

(h) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this act; 

(i) "reclamation" in relation to land, includes making land fit for cultivation 

or making any other improvement of land; 

(j) "scheme" means a land improvement scheme made under this Act; 

(k) "Soil Conservation Officer" means a Divisional Soil Conservation 

Officer or an Assistant Soil Conservation Officer appointed by the State 

Government in respect of a specified area to perform the functions of the 

Soil Conservation Officer under this Act and the rules made thereunder; 



(l) "waste land" means any land rendered unfit for cultivation on account of 

accumulation of sand , growth of weeds , soil erosion or any other cause 

notified by the State Government ; 

(m)"work" means any work of public utility constructed, erected or     

carried out under a scheme. 

 

                                                        CHAPTER II 

NOTIFICATION OF AREAS, CONSTITUTION OF DISTRICT LAND 

IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEES AND MAKING OF LAND IMPROVEMENT 

SCHEMES. 

 

     3.    Whenever it appears to the State Government that in any area comprising the 

whole or part of a district it is necessary to provide for the making and execution of  

land improvement schemes including schemes for soil  conservation,  improvement of 

soil resources, prevention or mitigation of soil erosion, protection of land against 

damage by floods or draught, farm drainage or other works incidental to, or connected 

with; such purposes, the State Government may, by notification declare such area to be 

a notified area for the purposes of this Act. 

 

4.   (1) In every district, the whole or part of which is declared to be a notified 

area, there shall be a committee to be called the District Land Improvement 

Committee consisting of the Deputy Commissioner, District Agricultural Officer, Soil 

Conservation Officer, Divisional Forest Officer, Chairman of the Zila Parishad and 

Chairman or Chairmen of Panchayat Samiti or Panchayat Samitis of the blocks which 

Notification 

of areas 

Constitution 

etc., of 

District Land 

Improvement 

Committees. 



wholly or partly fall within the whole or part of the notified area: 

Provided that where more than one Soil Conservation Officers are posted in a 

district, the Soil Conservation Officer within whose jurisdiction the bulk of the notified 

area is situated shall alone be the member of the District Land Improvement 

Committee. 

(2) The Deputy Commissioner shall be the Chairman of the District Land 

Improvement Committee and the Soil Conservation Officer shall be the Secretary 

thereof. 

(3) Three members shall form the quorum for a meeting of the District Land 

Improvement Committee. 

(4) All questions before the District Land Improvement Committee shall be 

decided according to the opinion of the majority of the members present and voting. In 

case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. 

 

5.(1) A District Land Improvement Committee may direct the preparation of a 

land improvement scheme for the whole or a part of the notified area within the district, 

which may provide for all or any of the following matters : - 

(i) prevention of erosion of soil; 

(ii) preservation and improvement of soil; 

(iii) reclamation of waste land; 

(iv) improvement in the methods of cultivation including dry farming practices 

and extension of cultivation; 

(v) construction of earth and masonry works in fields, gullies and ravines; 

Functions of 

District Land 

Improvement 

Committees. 



(vi) training of streams; 

(vii) planting and preservation of trees, shrubs and grass on uncultivable land or 

providing shelter-belts against wind or sand movement; 

(viii) regulation of prohibition of firing of vegetation; 

(ix) improvement of water-supply; 

(x) farm drainage and other works incidental to, or connected with, any of the 

aforesaid purposes; 

(xi) any other matter which may be prescribed. 

(2) On a direction being issued under sub-section (1), the Soil Conservation 

Officer shall prepare in the prescribed manner a draft scheme which amongst other 

things shall contain the following particulars:- 

(i) objects of the scheme; 

(ii) the boundaries and approximate areas of the land to be included in the 

scheme; 

(iii) the persons, including the Government, who will be affected by the scheme; 

(iv) the works to be carried out under the scheme; 

(v) the agency through which the works shall be carried out ;and 

(vi) such other particulars as may be considered necessary. 

 

6.The Soil Conservation Officer or any other person authorised in writing by the 

District Land Improvement Committee or the Soil Conservation Officer may enter 

upon any land in a notified area for the purpose of survey and preparation of a scheme 

and do all acts necessary for such purpose and in particular, may- 

Power to 

enter upon 

lands to do 

certain 

acts. 



(a) dig or bore into the sub-soil; or 

(b) take levels and mark boundaries ;or 

(c) place, erect or fix any peg or mark; or 

(d) do all other acts necessary for such purpose. 

 

7.(1) The Soil Conservation Officer shall prepare the draft scheme as required by 

sub-section (2) of section 5 and shall submit the same to the District Land 

Improvement Committee, which may either approve the draft scheme with or without 

modification or reject it and prepare or cause to be prepared another draft scheme. 

(2) After the draft scheme is approved by the District Land Improvement 

Committee, it shall be published in English, Hindi and Punjabi languages in the 

Official Gazette and also in the prescribed manner in every village and at the 

headquarters of the tehsil and district in which the lands included in the scheme are 

situated, and a copy thereof shall be affixed in the offices of the Panchayat, Panchayat 

Samiti and Zila Parishad concerned. 

(3)As soon as the draft scheme is approved, the District Land Improvement 

Committee shall, appoint a person to be an Enquiry Officer. 

 

8. The District Land Improvement Committee shall simultaneously with the 

publication of the draft scheme in the Official Gazette require all persons affected by 

the scheme to make, within thirty days of such publication, any objections to the 

scheme or part thereof to the Enquiry Officer either in writing or by appearing 

personally before him. 

 

Approval 

and 

publication 

of schemes. 

Objections 

to 

Schemes. 



9. The Enquiry Officer shall inquire into the objections received by him and 

submit them to the District Land Improvement Committee together with his report and 

recommendations thereon. 

 

10.After considering the objections and the report and recommendations of the 

Enquiry Officer thereon and any further report which the District Land Improvement 

Committee may require from him, the District Land Improvement Committee may 

sanction the scheme, with or without modification or reject it: 

Provided that the District Land Improvement Committee shall not sanction the 

scheme if the majority of the owners of the land included in the scheme, other than the 

Government, or the owners, other than the Government, owning in the aggregate more 

than fifty per centum of the land included in the scheme have objected to the making of 

the scheme. 

 

11. The Scheme as sanctioned under section 10 shall be published in the same 

manner as is provided in sub-section (2) of section 7 and on such publication shall be 

deemed to be final and shall come into force from the date of such publication in the 

Official Gazette. 

 

12. For the purpose of carrying out a scheme which has come into force under 

section 11, the District Land Improvement Committee may, with the prior approval of 

the State Government, make regulations requiring any person or persons or the public 

generally to take certain action or to refrain from doing certain acts in respect of any 

matter included in the scheme or which may be supplementary or incidental to the 

scheme. 

Enquiry into 

objections 

and report. 

Publication 

of final 

scheme. 

Sanctioning 

of final 

scheme. 

Power of 

District  land 

Improvement 

Committees 

to make 

regulations. 



   CHAPTER III  

 EXECUTION OF SCHEMES 

        13. When a scheme comes into force under section 11, the Soil Conservation 

Officer shall proceed to execute the scheme. 

 

14.(1) Every landowner affected by a scheme shall, unless he himself carries out 

the works apportioned to him, be liable to pay the cost with interest thereon of such 

works in proportion to the area of land owned by him which has been included in the 

scheme. 

(2) If any landowner desires to carry out the works himself under the technical 

guidance of the Soil Conservation Officer, the landowner shall give notice in writing to 

that effect to the Soil Conservation Officer within thirty days of the publication of the 

scheme in the Official Gazette under section 11. 

(3) On receipt of such notice, the Soil Conservation Officer shall inform the 

landowner about the works which are to be carried out on his land and shall fix the date 

before which the landowner shall carry out the works. 

(4) If the landowner fails to carry out any of such works to the satisfaction of the 

Soil Conservation Officer, or express his inability to do so in writing, before the date 

fixed for completion of the works, the Soil Conservation Officer may himself cause the 

works to be carried out and recover the expenses incurred for the purpose with interest 

thereon from the landowner in such manner as may be prescribed. 

 

 

Soil 

Conservation 

Officer to 

execute the 

scheme. 

Power to 

carry out 

works under 

the scheme. 



1[14-A (1)   Where – 

(a)   the Department intends to lay underground 

pipeline or repair or renovation, as the case may 

be, of existing underground pipeline through 

holding of any other land holders for the purpose 

of irrigation; or 

 (b) a farmer or a group of farmers intend to lay an underground 

pipeline or repair or renovation, as the case may be, of existing 

pipeline through the holding of any other land owner for the 

purpose of irrigation on his holding or as the case may be, their 

holdings; and 

 the matter is not settled by mutual agreement, then the District     

Level Committee may, by order, allow the Department or the 

farmer or the group of farmers, as the case may be, to lay pipeline 

or repair or renovation, as the case may be, of existing pipeline, at 

least three feet beneath the surface of the land along the demarcated 

line on payment of such compensation arising out of crop damage 

or damage to any structure to the land owner. The District Level 

Committee shall determine the amount of compensation to be paid 

as per prevalent market prices to the land holder through whose 

land the pipeline is to be laid or repaired or renovated and its 

decision shall be binding upon all the parties. 

               (2)   The Department or the farmer or the group of farmers, as the case may 

be, shall submit a written application to the District Level Committee detailing the land 

owner/s details through which the pipeline shall be laid or repaired or renovated and 

                                                             
1 Added by Punjab Act no.25 of 2017 ,section 2 

Laying of 

underground 

pipeline or repair of 

renovation of 

existing 

underground 

pipeline. 



line demarcated for laying of pipeline alongwith the damage as shall be caused to crop 

or any structure that is in way of demarcated line. 

             (3)    The Department or the farmer or the group of farmers, as the case may 

be, permitted to avail any of the facilities referred to in sub-section (1) shall not, by 

virtue of the said facility, acquire any other right in the holding through which such 

facility is granted. 

            (4)    The Department or the farmer or the group of farmers, as the case may be, 

to whom such facility is granted, shall also ensure that the land be restored up to the 

satisfaction of the land holder after laying of underground pipeline. 

14-B.  (1)   In every district, there shall be constituted a committee to be called the 

District Level Committee for granting compensation , to the Department or the farmer 

or the group of farmers , as the case may be , consisting of the following , namely:- 

(i) Deputy Commissioner                                Chairman 

(ii) Divisional Soil Conservation Officer          Convener 

(iii) District Revenue Officer            Member 

(iv) Executive Engineer, Public            Member 

Works Department (B&R) 

(v) Divisional Forest Officer    Member 

           (2)    The Convener shall convene the meeting of the District Level Committee 

on receipt of request to lay underground pipeline or repair or renovation, as the case 

may be, of existing pipeline. 

          (3)    Four member including the Chairman and the Convener shall form the 

quorum for a meeting of the District Level Committee. 

          (4)    All questions before the District Level Committee shall be decided 

according to the opinion of the majority of members present and voting. In the case of 

Constitution 

of District 

Level 

Committees. 



equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.] 

 

15.       Notwithstanding anything contained in section 14, the State Government may, 

in the case of any scheme which has come into force under section 11, direct that any 

work under the scheme may, in public interest, be carried out by the State Government 

and that the cost of such work with interest thereon shall be recovered in whole or in 

part from the land owners in proportion to the area owned by each landowner which 

has been included in the scheme. 

 

   CHAPTER IV 

MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND USE OF WORKS CARRIED  

OUT UNDER SCHEMES. 

 

16. (1)    The Soil Conservation Officer shall, on completion of the works under a 

scheme, prepare a statement in the prescribed form giving the following particulars, 

namely: 

(i) name of the landowners ,including the Government ,and Khasra numbers of the land 

included in the scheme; 

(ii) the works carried out under the scheme together with a map thereof; 

(iii) the total cost of such works; 

(iv) the rate of recovery of cost per acre; 

(v) the amount to be recovered from the landowners, the period within which such 

amount is recoverable and the number of instalments of recovery; 

Power to 

State 

Government 

to carry out 

schemes. 

Preparation 

of statement. 



(vi) the works which, in the opinion of the Soil Conservation Officer, should be 

maintained and repaired by landowners individually or jointly and the name of such 

landowners; and 

(vii) such other matters as may be prescribed. 

(2)      A copy of the statement shall be sent to the Revenue Department for recovery in 

the manner prescribed. 

(3)     When a statement is prepared under this section, any rights and liabilities shown 

therein shall be entered in the record of rights or where there is no record of rights in 

such village record and in such manner as may be prescribed and shall thereupon form 

part of such record of right or such village record. 

 

17. (1)    Every person shown in the statement prepared under section 16 as liable to 

maintain and repair works shall maintain it to the satisfaction of the Soil Conservation 

Officer and shall, within such time as the Soil Conservation Officer may fix, repair the 

works in his own land or in any other land in respect of which he is shown as liable in 

that statement. 

(2)    If such person fails to maintain the works to the satisfaction of the Soil 

Conservation Officer or fails to repair them within the time fixed by the Soil 

Conservation Officer under sub- section (1), the Soil Conservation Officer shall 

himself maintain the work or get them repaired and recover the cost thereof with 

interest thereon from such person. 

(3)       If the Soil Conservation Officer is of the opinion that an emergency has arisen 

and immediate repair of any works referred to in sub-section (1) is necessary in public 

interest, he shall cause such repairs to be carried out and the cost of such repairs with 

interest thereon shall be paid by the landowner or landowners concerned. 

Obligation of 

persons to 

maintain and 

repair works. 



(4)       The Soil Conservation Officer shall, as soon as practicable, report to the State 

Government regarding such repairs. 

 

18.     Any dispute as to the execution of works under a scheme or the expenses 

incurred on the works or their maintenance and repair as referred to in section 16 or 

section 17 shall be decided by the Director whose decision shall be final. 

 

19.     All amounts payable to, or recoverable by, the State Government or the Soil 

Conservation Officer under this Act may be recovered as if they were arrears of land 

revenue. 

                                              CHAPTER V 

                                       MISCELLANEOUS  

 

20.      Any person who does any act which causes damage to any of the works carried 

out or maintained under any scheme which has come into force under section 11 shall, 

on conviction, be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. 

 

21.      (1)Any Officer or authority empowered under this Act to make an inquiry shall 

make the inquiry in the manner provided for holding a summary inquiry under the 

Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887, and all the provisions contained in that Act, relating 

to the holding of a summary inquiry, shall apply to an inquiry made under this Act. 

         (2) Such Officer or authority shall have the same powers for summoning and 

enforcing the attendance of any person and examining on oath and compelling the 

Decision of 

disputes 

relating to 

works. 

Amounts to 

be 

recovered. 

Penalty. 

Inquiries to 

be held 

summarily. 



production of documents as are vested in the Revenue Officers under the Punjab Land 

Revenue Act, 1887. 

 

22.      Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force,  

it shall be lawful for a landowner, whose land is included in a scheme, to enhance the 

rent payable by a tenant of such land by such amount, in such manner and subject to 

such conditions as may be prescribed. 

 

23.     (1)  Nothing in the Indian Registration Act, 1908, shall be deemed to require the 

registration of any document, plan or map prepared, made or sanctioned in connection 

with a scheme which has come into force under section 11. 

          (2)  All such documents, plans and maps shall, for the purpose of sections 48 and 

49 of Indian Registration Act, 1908, be deemed to be registered in accordance with 

provisions of that Act. 

 

24.     If the State Government is satisfied upon an application made by a District Land 

Improvement Committee that it is necessary to revoke a scheme or a part thereof or if 

the State Government is satisfied that a scheme or a part thereof is against public 

interest, it may, by notification, revoke the scheme or a part thereof, as the case may 

be, and upon such revocation, the provisions of this Act, except section 19, shall cease 

to apply to such scheme or a part thereof. 

 

 

 

Permission to 

increase rent 

on account of 

improvements 

effected. 

Registration 

of 

documents, 

plans or 

maps in 

connection 

with 

schemes not 

required. 

Power to 

revoke 

schemes. 



25. Documents, plans and maps relating to a scheme shall be open for public inspection 

at the office of every Tahsildar for the area in respect of which a scheme has been 

prepared at any time during office hours and certified copies thereof may be obtained 

on payment of the prescribed fee. 

 

26.    The State Government, and, subject to the control of the State Government, the 

Soil Conservation Officer, may, by notification, direct that any power exercisable by it 

or him under this Act shall, in relation to such matters and subject to such conditions, if 

any, as may be specified in the notification, be exercisable also by such Officer or 

authority subordinate to the State Government or the Soil Conservation Officer, as the 

case may be, as may be specified in the notification. 

 

27.   The Soil Conservation Officer, the Enquiry Officer or any other Officer, 

exercising any power or performing any function under this Act, shall be deemed to be 

a public servant within the meaning of section 21of the Indian Penal Code. 

 

28.     No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against any person 

deemed to be a public servant under section 27 in respect of anything which is in good 

faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or the rules made thereunder. 

 

29. The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the 

Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900. 

 

 

Inspections 

of 

documents, 

etc., and 

obtaining 

of copies. 

Delegation 

Certain 

Officers to 

be public 

servants. 

Protection 

of acts 

done in 

good faith. 

Application 

of Punjab Act 

2 of 1900 not 

barred. 



30.   (1) The State Government may, by notification and after previous publication, 

make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 

(2)      In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, 

such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely: - 

 (a)  the manner in which the draft scheme under section 5 shall be prepared and 

the other matters and particulars, which may be included therein; 

 (b)  the manner in which a scheme shall be published under sub-section (2)    of 

section 7; 

 (c)   the manner in which the expenses incurred in carrying out the works under 

sub-section (4) of section 14 may be recovered; 

 (d)   the form in which the statement under section 16 shall be prepared and the 

manner in which the amounts mentioned therein may be recovered; 

 (e)  the scale of fees for obtaining certified copies of documents, plans and maps 

relating to a scheme; and 

           (f)   all other matters allowed or required by this Act to be prescribed. 

(3)      Every rule made under this section shall be laid as soon as may be after it is 

made before 1[* * *] the State Legislature while it is in session for a total period of ten 

days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if 

before the expiry of the session in which it is laid or the session immediately following, 

2[the Legislature] agree in making any modification in the rule or 3[the Legislature] 

agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such 

modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be, so however, that any such 

                                                             
1 The words "each House of "omitted by the Adaption of Punjab Laws Order, 1970. 
2 Substituted for the words “both Houses” by ibid 
3 Substituted for the words “both Houses” by ibid. 

Power to 

make rules. 



modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything 

previously done under that rule.