Vidhi Codex

The Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954

The Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954

Civil1954189 sections

This Act governs land reforms in the Union territory of Delhi by establishing new rules for land ownership, tenancy, and agricultural holdings. It applies to the entire territory, though it excludes certain areas like cantonments, central government estates, and land acquired for public utility. The legislation repeals several older tenancy and revenue laws to consolidate and modernize the land system, ensuring fairer distribution and management of land resources in the region. It aims to provide security of tenure and regulate economic holdings to benefit the agricultural community.

Start reading →Read full ActSections
  1. 1. Short title, extent and commencement
  2. 2. Repeals
  3. 3. Definitions
  4. 4. Classes of tenure-holder and sub-tenure holder
  5. 5. Bhumidhar
  6. 6. Asami
  7. 7. Rights of proprietors in waste lands, pasture lands, lands of common utility, etc. to vest in Gaon Sabha and compensation to be paid for them
  8. 8. Private wells, trees in abadi and buildings
  9. 9. Power to make rules
  10. 10. Tenants of Sir and sub-tenants of occupancy tenants of the Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887, and of tenants holding land with Patta Dawami or Istamrari and with right of transfer by sale
  11. 11. Declaration of Bhumidhari in favour of proprietors and superior class of tenants, etc., and land revenue
  12. 12. Sub-tenants of occupancy proprietary tenants, etc.
  13. 13. Bhumidhari rights in other cases
  14. 14. Compensation and land revenue payable by Bhumidhars declared as Bhumidhar under section 13
  15. 15. Estate in possession of mortgagee with possession
  16. 16. Consequences of the acquisition of Bhumidhari rights by mortgagees etc.
  17. 16A. Tenant declared Bhumidhar of redeemed land
  18. 17. Variation in rent after 1st July, 1950, not to be recognized
  19. 18. Contract or agreement or eviction to defeat provisions of this Act to be void
  20. 19. Cesses, local rate and sayar
  21. 20. Stay of suits
  22. 21. Stay of proceedings
  23. 22. Right of Bhumidhar to exclusive possession of land in his holding
  24. 23. Use of holding for industrial purposes
  25. 24. Reversion to agriculture
  26. 25. Registration of the sanction or declaration under section 23 or 24
  27. 26. Restriction on improvements
  28. 27. Works benefiting land
  29. 28. Right to compensation for improvement made by an Asami
  30. 29. Determination of the amount of compensation
  31. 30. Court to assess compensation for improvements
  32. 31. Interest of a Bhumidhar to be transferable
  33. 32. Interest of an Asami not transferable
  34. 33. Restrictions on the transfers by a Bhumidhar
  35. 34. Only simple mortgage of land by a Bhumidhar allowed
  36. 35. Letting of land
  37. 36. Lease by a disabled person
  38. 37. Registration of a lease
  39. 38. Failure to register the lease under section 37
  40. 39. Successor-in interest bound by a lease
  41. 40. Exchange
  42. 41. Land revenue on exchange
  43. 42. Transfer in contravention to section 33
  44. 43. Transfer with possession by a Bhumidhar to be deemed a sale
  45. 44. Effect of lease in contravention of section 36
  46. 45. Transfer made in contravention of this Chapter to be void
  47. 47. Consequences of ejectment under section 42
  48. 48. Bequest by Bhumidhar
  49. 49. Bequest by an Asami
  50. 50. General order of succession from males
  51. 51. Succession in the case of a woman holding inherited holding
  52. 52. Succession in the case of a Bhumidhar or Asami inheriting from father's father
  53. 53. Succession to a woman holding an interest otherwise
  54. 54. Passing of interest by survivorship
  55. 55. Holding of a Bhumidhar partible
  56. 56. One suit for partition of several holdings
  57. 57. Mode of partition of a holding
  58. 58. Valuation of the holding to be sold
  59. 59. Preferential right of purchase
  60. 60. Sale in default of purchase under section 59
  61. 61. Procedure in sale
  62. 62. Surrender of holding by Asami
  63. 63. Notice of surrender
  64. 64. Abandonment
  65. 65. Admission of Asami to the holding of a disabled Bhumidhar
  66. 65A. Consequences where Bhumidhar leaves land uncultivated
  67. 66. Entry upon abandoned holding
  68. 67. Extinction of the interest of a Bhumidhar
  69. 68. Extinction of the interest of an Asami
  70. 69. Interest of an Asami on extinction of the interest of a Bhumidhar
  71. 70. Merger
  72. 71. Rights and liabilities of Bhumidhar or Asami on extinction of his interest
  73. 72. Gaon Sabha to take over land after extinction of interest therein
  74. 73. Admission to land
  75. 74. Admission to land mentioned in sub-clause (iii) of clause (a) of section 6 or to waste land for reclamation
  76. 75. Order of preference for admission to land under sections 73 and 74
  77. 76. Bhumidhar not liable to ejectment
  78. 77. Ejectment of Asami
  79. 78. Ejectment of Asami—Procedure for crops and trees when ejectment takes effect
  80. 79. Failure to institute a suit for ejectment under section 77 or execute the decree obtained thereunder
  81. 80. Consequence of ejectment under section 77
  82. 81. Ejectment for use of land in contravention of the provisions of this Act
  83. 82. Decree for ejectment under section 81
  84. 83. Suit for compensation and repair of the waste or damage
  85. 84. Ejectment of persons occupying land without title
  86. 85. Failure to file suit or to execute decree obtained thereunder
  87. 87. Ejectment of persons from land of public utility
  88. 88. Rent payable by an Asami
  89. 89. Rent not to be varied
  90. 90. Suit for fixation of rent
  91. 91. Hypothecation of produce towards payment of rent
  92. 92. Rent how payable
  93. 93. Commutation of rent
  94. 94. Instalments of rent
  95. 95. Application for recovery of arrears of rent
  96. 96. Issue of notice to Asami
  97. 97. Order for payment on failure to comply with the notice under section 96
  98. 98. Execution by ejectment, in default of payment
  99. 99. Interest on arrear of rent
  100. 100. Recovery of arrear of rent of property
  101. 101. Remission for calamity by decreeing claim for arrears
  102. 102. Suit for arrears of irrigation dues
  103. 103. Vesting of tree existing on the boundary of the holding of a tenant
  104. 104. Declaratory suit
  105. 105. Power to make rules
  106. 106. Land Revenue
  107. 107. Land held by Bhumidhars liable to payment of land revenue
  108. 108. Liability of the Bhumidhars for payment of land revenue assessed on the village
  109. 109. Amount of land revenue payable by a Bhumidhar
  110. 110. Dates and instalments of land revenue under section 109
  111. 111. Variation in land revenue payable by a Bhumidhar
  112. 112. First settlement of land revenue
  113. 113. Revision settlement of land revenue
  114. 114. Notification as to settlement operations
  115. 115. Appointment of Settlement Officer
  116. 116. Transfer of duties to Settlement Officer
  117. 117. Term of Settlement
  118. 118. Settlement by Deputy Commissioner in precarious tracts or alluvial areas
  119. 119. Deputy Commissioner to exercise the powers of Settlement Officer under section 118
  120. 120. Procedure to be adopted
  121. 121. Assessment of revenues on lands released in certain cases
  122. 122. Title to hold land free of revenue
  123. 123. Land revenue to be assessed on aggregate holdings area in a village
  124. 124. Principles of assessment
  125. 125. Assessment proposals
  126. 126. Orders of the Chief Commissioner on the assessment proposals
  127. 127. Remission or suspension of revenue and rent following an agricultural calamity
  128. 128. Order under section 127 not to be questioned in a Court
  129. 129. Revision of settlement on account of decline in prices of agricultural produce
  130. 130. Appointment of officer for settlement under section 129
  131. 131. Annual enquiry into revenue grant
  132. 132. Arrangements for collecting land revenue
  133. 133. Collection of land revenue
  134. 134. Consequence of collection by Gaon Sabha
  135. 135. Certified statement of arrears of land revenue
  136. 136. Procedure for the recovery of an arrear of land revenue
  137. 137. Writ of demand and citation to appear
  138. 138. Arrest and detention
  139. 139. Attachment and sale of movable property
  140. 140. Sale of holding for recovery of land revenue and application of proceeds thereof
  141. 141. Powers of Deputy Commissioner to proceed against defaulter in other immovable property
  142. 142. Recovery of arrears paid by a Bhumidhar on account of another Bhumidhar
  143. 143. Provisions applied to arrear due at commencement of Act
  144. 144. Attachment of village and direct management by Deputy Commissioner
  145. 145. Powers and liabilities of Deputy Commissioner in respect of area under his management
  146. 146. Powers of Deputy Commissioner to let out the holding
  147. 148. Provisions of Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887, Chapters V, VI and VII, as applied
  148. 150. Establishment and incorporation of Gaon Sabha and Gaon Sabha Area
  149. 151. Membership and Constitution of Gaon Panchayat
  150. 152. Up-Pradhan and office bearers of Gaon Panchayat
  151. 153. Disqualification for membership of the Gaon Panchayat
  152. 154. Vesting of certain lands etc. in Gaon Sabha
  153. 155. Superintendence, management and control of land, etc. by the Gaon Sabha, or other authorities
  154. 156. Duties of Gaon Panchayats
  155. 157. Term and other matters about the Gaon Panchayat
  156. 158. Money received by Gaon Sabha or Gaon Panchayat under this Act to be credited to the Gaon Sabha Area Fund
  157. 159. Gaon Sabha Area Fund to be utilised in connection with this Act
  158. 160. Gaon Sabha or the Gaon Panchayat to carry out orders and directions of the Government
  159. 161. Alternative arrangement for carrying out the duties of the Gaon Sabha or the Gaon Panchayat in certain circumstances
  160. 161A. Government of India to be impleaded in suits by or against Gaon Sabhas
  161. 161B. Certain decrees and orders to be set aside
  162. 162. Powers to make rules
  163. 163. Formation of co-operative farm
  164. 164. Application for registration
  165. 165. Registration of the co-operative farm
  166. 166. Land offered by a member to be transferred to the farm
  167. 167. Formation of co-operative farm of uneconomic holdings
  168. 168. Disposal of objections and service of the order
  169. 169. Appeal
  170. 170. Registration of co-operative farm of uneconomic holdings
  171. 171. Land in uneconomic holdings to be transferred to the farm
  172. 172. Consequences of registration
  173. 173. Bye-laws of farm
  174. 174. Land contributed to continue to vest in the Bhumidhar thereof
  175. 175. Disposition of land by member of a co-operative farm
  176. 176. Rights, privileges, obligations and liabilities of members
  177. 177. Liability on the Farm to pay land revenue and other dues
  178. 178. Admission of new members
  179. 179. Concessions and facilities for co-operative farms
  180. 180. Power to make rules
  181. 181. Delegation of powers
  182. 182. Powers to enter upon land to make survey etc.
  183. 183. Mode of service of notice
  184. 184. Inspection and copies of documents, statements and registers
  185. 185. Cognizance of suits, etc. under this Act
  186. 186. Procedure when question of title is raised
  187. 191. Rules in general
  188. 192. Saving
  189. 86(A). Ejectment of Bhumidhar to whom section 85 applies

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