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The State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950 (East Bengal Act)

( ACT NO. XXVIII OF 1951 )

Chapter IV

PREPARATION OF RECORD-OF-RIGHTS

Lands to be retained in the possession of rent-receivers, cultivating raiyats, cultivating under-raiyats and non-agricultural tenants
20. (1) On the acquisition of the interests of rent-receivers in any area under Chapter V, no rent-receiver, cultivating raiyat, cultivating under-raiyat or non-agricultural tenant shall be entitled to retain possession of any of his khas lands in such area except as provided in sub-section (2).
 
 
 
 
(2) A rent-receiver, a cultivating raiyat, a cultivating under-raiyat, or a non-agricultural tenant shall be entitled to retain, as a tenant under the Government, possession of-
 
 
 
 
(a) lands covered by his homestead or any other building belonging to him with necessary adjuncts thereto, other than such building or part of a building outside his homestead as is used primarily as office or cutchery for the collection of rents of any estate, taluk or tenure and may be decided to be acquired by the Government;
 
 
 
 
(b) lands in his khas possession of the following classes, other than derelict tea gardens, namely:-
 
 
 
 
(i) lands used for agricultural or horticultural purposes including tanks,
 
 
(ii) lands which are cultivable or which are capable of cultivation on reclamation, and
 
 
 
 
(iii) vacant non-agricultural lands:
 
 
 
 
Provided that the aggregate quantity of all lands of the classes referred to in clauses (a) and (b) in the whole of province so retained in possession by a rent-receiver, a cultivating raiyat, a cultivating under-raiyat or a non-agricultural tenant shall not exceed three hundred and seventy-five standard bighas or an area determined by calculating at the rate of ten standard bighas for each member of his family, whichever is greater.
 
 
 
 
1[(2a) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force or in any instrument or in any judgment or decree or order of any Court lands of the classes referred to in the clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (2) do not include and shall be deemed never to have included-
 
 
 
 
(i) any land or building in a hat or bazar, or,
 
 
 
 
(ii) any fishery other than a tank constructed solely by process of excavation, or,
 
 
 
 
(iii) any land consisting of forest, or,
 
 
 
 
(iv) any land actually in use for a ferry.]
 
 
 
 
(3) Allotments of lands, of which a rent-receiver, a cultivating raiyat, a cultivating under-raiyat or a non-agricultural tenant is entitled to retain possession under clause (b) of sub-section (2), shall be made by the Revenue-officer according to the choice of such rent-receiver, cultivating raiyat, cultivating under-raiyat or non-agricultural tenant or, where no such choice is exercised within a prescribed period, according to the rules to be made in this behalf by the Government:
 
 
 
 
Provided that in exercising such choice such rent-receiver, cultivating raiyat, cultivating under-raiyat or non-agricultural tenant shall retain the entire area of land held by each of the
 
 
other members of his family if it is ten standard bighas or less and to the extent of at least ten standard bighas if it exceeds that quantity and that in allotting land to a family, the Revenue-officer shall record them in the names of the persons who actually hold them:
 
 
 
 
Provided further that when a rent-receiver, a cultivating raiyat, a cultivating under-raiyat or a non-agricultural tenant or any member of his family has mortgaged any land to the Agricultural Development Finance Corporation established under the Agricultural Development Finance Corporation Act, 1952, or to the House Building Finance Corporation established under the House Building Finance Corporation Act, 1952, or to the Agricultural Bank of Pakistan established under the Agricultural Bank Act, 1957, he shall, when exercising choice under this section, be bound to include in his choice all lands, so mortgaged, of the classes and up to the limit he is entitled to retain under sub-section (2) and when such a rent-receiver, a cultivating raiyat, a cultivating under-raiyat or a non-agricultural tenant has already exercised his choice under this section, but no Compensation Assessment-roll in respect of his excess khas land has been finally published, he shall be required to revise his choice in accordance with the provisions of this proviso.
 
 
 
 
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), a rent-receiver, a cultivating raiyat or a cultivating under-raiyat or a group of rent-receivers, cultivating raiyat or cultivating under-raiyats who has or have undertaken large scale farming on a co-operative basis or otherwise by the use of power driven mechanical appliances, or large scale dairy farming may, if he is or they are certified in that behalf by the prescribed Revenue Authority, retain possession of and hold such quantity of lands in excess of the limit specified in the said sub-section as may be specified in the certificate granted by such Revenue Authority:
 
 
 
 
Provided that such a certificate shall be subject to revisions by the said Revenue Authority at such intervals as may be fixed in this behalf by the Government.
 
 
2[(4A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), a person or persons holding land for the purposes of the cultivation and manufacture of tea or coffee or the cultivation of rubber or a company holding land for the cultivation of sugarcane for the purpose of manufacture of sugar by that company may, if he or it is or they are certified in that behalf by the prescribed Revenue Authority, retain possession of and hold such quantity of land in excess of the limit specified in the said sub-section as may be specified in the certificate granted by such Revenue Authority:
 
 
 
 
Provided that such a certificate shall be subject to revisions by the said Revenue Authority at such intervals as may be fixed in this behalf by the Government:
 
 
 
 
Provided further that for the purpose of this sub-section, a derelict tea garden shall not be deemed to be land held for the purpose of the cultivation and manufacture of tea.]
 
 
 
 
3[(4B) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (4) and (4A) or in sections 39, 43 and 44 or in any other law for the time being in force, the land held under a certificate granted under sub-section (4) or (4A) by the prescribed Revenue Authority shall absolutely vest in the Government on the date when the Government shall take a decision in favour of the certificate-holder on an application submitted by him for granting a lease on a long term basis in respect of such land, wherein the certificate holder gave up the claim of compensation that would have been assessed under section 39 for the purpose of formal acquisition of such land, and such land may be leased out under the second proviso to sub-section (1) of section 81 to the certificate-holder without charging any premium thereof, on such terms and conditions as may be set forth in the lease by the Government, by terminating the certificate].
 
 
(5) (i) Noting in sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) of this section shall apply-
 
 
 
 
(a) Omitted by section 4 of the East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 1961 (E. P. Ord. XV of 1961).
 
 
 
 
(b) to any land covered by buildings or structures and necessary adjuncts thereto as are used for the purpose of any large scale industry with such other lands as are used for growing raw materials therefor, or
 
 
 
 
(c) to so much of the lands held under debutter, wakf, wakf-al-al-aulad or any other trust as is exclusively dedicated and the income from which is exclusively applied to religious or charitable purposes without reservation of pecuniary benefit for any individual.
 
 
 
 
(ii) Where, under any debutter, wakf, wakf-al-al-aulad or any other trust, the income from the lands covered by such trust is partly dedicated for religious or charitable purposes and partly reserved for the pecuniary benefit of any individual, only such portion of the lands, as may be selected in accordance with the rules to be made in this behalf by the Government, shall come within the purview of sub-clause (c) of clause (i).
 
 
 
 
Explanation- For the purposes of sub-section (2) of this section-
 
 
 
 
(a) a rent-receiver, cultivating raiyat, cultivating under-raiyat or non-agricultural tenant shall be deemed to include a group of them who are members of the same family; and
 
 
 
 
(b) a family shall, when used in relation to a rent-receiver, cultivating raiyat, cultivating under-raiyat, or non-agricultural tenant, be deemed to consist of such rent-receiver cultivating raiyat, cultivating under-raiyat or non-agricultural tenant and all persons living in the same mess with and dependant upon such rent-receiver, cultivating raiyat, cultivating under-raiyat or non-agricultural tenant, but does not include any servant or hired labourer living in the same mess.
 
 
(6) The provision of sub-section (c) of clause (i) of sub-section (5) and clause (ii) of that sub-section shall not apply and be deemed never to have applied to any land on which hats or bazars are held or which consists of forests or fisheries or ferries.

  • 1
    Sub-section (2a) was substituted for the explanation by section 6 of the East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 1960 (East Pakistan Ordinance No. XII of 1960)
  • 2
    Sub-section (4A) was inserted by section 4 of the East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 1959 (East Pakistan Ordinance No. XXXIX of 1959).
  • 3
    Sub-section (4B) was added by section 2 of East Pakistan Ordinance No. I of 1971
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