The Supreme Court of India has held that a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) does not possess the statutory authority to change the classification of “public utility land” to “cultivable land” to facilitate the grant of agricultural leases. The Court ruled that such re-categorization is a jurisdictional error, rendering any subsequent pattas (leases) void from their inception.
Sub-Divisional Officer Lacks Jurisdiction to Re-categorize Public Utility Land; Supreme Court Declares Subsequent Pattas Void Ab Initio
