Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — At a plenary session of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, the Law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan" was discussed.

The discussion emphasized that in recent years, reforms aimed at the efficient protection and rational use of land and water resources have been consistently implemented in the country. However, the task of improving the system for accounting free land, clarifying the procedure for transferring agricultural land to other categories, and strengthening the responsibility of landowners for timely payment upon land acquisition remains crucial.

A particular concern is the rapid increase in the extraction of underground water for irrigation and other purposes, accompanied by frequent cases of unauthorized drilling of wells and uncontrolled water usage. This necessitates effective measures to enhance the protection of underground water resources.

The law introduces changes to the Land Code, including the creation of a system to account for free land in state ownership, the possibility of placing objects on agricultural land that are consistent with their primary intended purpose, and the automatic termination of rights to land plots in case of delayed payment for their acquisition. Additionally, the classification of agricultural land is clarified, and specific requirements are introduced for transferring irrigated land to another category or to non-irrigated status. The law also expands the list of situations where compensation for losses in agricultural and forestry production is required.

Amendments to the Law "On Licensing, Permits, and Notification Procedures" establish measures of responsibility for the illegal drilling of wells into underground waters and for failure to comply with instructions aimed at preventing dangerous geological processes. Specifically, a fine is introduced, equal to five times the tax rate, for extracting underground water without using water metering devices. The procedure for obtaining permits for drilling wells is also improved.

Changes to the Law "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of Uzbekistan" include the inclusion of information about the system code of an administrative-territorial object in the State Register of Administrative-Territorial Units.

Senators noted that the adoption of this law will contribute to more efficient land use and protection, improve water regulation, and ensure more accurate and transparent administrative-territorial accounting.

The law was unanimously approved by the senators following the discussion.