Research On Land Administration Accountability System For Local Governments In China

As the mother of wealth, land connects closely with the existence and development of human beings and to some degree, the history of human economic and societal development reflects the history of the development of relations between humans and land. Because of the unique land conditions, man-land relations and land administration systems, cases of illegal land allocation and use are on the increase. A number of other social contradictions initiated by land tenure, use and administration systems are increasing both in number and seriousness. Almost all serious illegal land cases are connected to the local government since local government is involved in both the management of local affairs and as the primary driver and institution responsible for the local economic development. Due to local government over-reliance on land revenue, coupled with the establishment of performance evaluation system as well as the appointment and removal system of cadres, cases of illegal land allocation and use are on the increase with most major illegal land cases being connected to the local government.Due to the above, a system of accountability in land administration was developed and formed part of the publication titled The State Council on Strengthening the Regulation of Land the Announcement of Concerned Problems in September2006. In May2008, the Ministries of Supervision, Human Resources and Social Security and that of Land and Resources issued guidelines named Administration Punishment on Behaviors Violating Land Management Regulations, which stipulated that the leader of local government who uses land illegally should be investigated for responsibility. The establishment of land administration system for accountability is one of the major events in the history of land administration in China. This system has important significance as it clearly stipulates the administrative power of local government in land use and carrying out strict land management system.This research aimed at studying accountability systems in land administration so as to establish possibilities of easing land use conflicts, and reduce the growing number of cases involving illegal land allocation and use. In addition, it provides policy recommendations needed for betterment of the government image, achievement of effective and rational allocation of the land resources, and it can also help provide the foundation for the land adjustment policies to be usefully put in practice when land management is strengthened.This research focused on prefecture and district level land administration accountability with the main research methods being questionnaire administration and comparative analysis. Based on the definition of the concept and combination of relevant theories, this paper analyzes the situation and development of accountability in land administration for local government. In order to discuss the role played by the local government on supervision and punishment of illegal land cases, we investigated and correlated the land administration departments in Jiangsu province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. We discuss the role played by the local government on supervision and punishment of illegal land cases, and also sought the shortcoming of local government accountability systems in land administration and supplementary measures. One the basis of some factual evidence, this study advances countermeasures and suggestions for establishment and perfection of accountability in land administration for local governments, including enhanced variant intendance, definite accountability objects, widening the scope of investigating, effective exertion of land on satellite law execution inspection, a perfect relief system, strengthening the land administrative responsibility of local government and standardized government behavior.