Panchayat land, also known as Shamlat land, is land owned collectively by a village community and managed by the Gram Panchayat. It is meant for the benefit of the entire village β such as grazing, community buildings, or leasing to landless villagers. Disputes arise when this land is illegally occupied, sold, leased out without proper procedure, or misused, especially affecting NRIs and landless villagers.