Tenants deemed to have purchased lands on tillers’ day.

(1) On the tillers’ day, every tenant shall, subject to the other provisions of this Act, be deemed to have purchased from his landlord the land held by him as a tenant and such land shall vest in him free from all encumbrances subsisting on the said day. (2) Where a tenant, on account of his eviction from the land by the landlord before the tillers’ day, is not in possession of the land on the said day, but has made or makes an application for possession of the land under section 18 within the period specified therein, then, if the application is allowed by the Mamlatdar or, as the case may be, in appeal by the Collector or in revision by the Administrative Tribunal, he shall be deemed to have purchased the land on the day on which the final order allowing the application is passed. (3) Where a tenant referred to in sub-section (2) has not made an application for possession within the period specified under section 18 or the application made by him is finally rejected under this Act, and the land is held by any other person as tenant on the expiry of the said period or on the date of the final rejection of the application, such other person shall be deemed to have purchased the land on the date of the expiry of the said period or, as the case may be, on the date of the final rejection of the application. (4) If a tenant is not in possession of the land on the tillers’ day on account of his being dispossessed otherwise than in the manner provided in section 11 and the land is— (a) in possession of the landlord or his successor in interest; and (b) not put to a non-agricultural use, the Mamlatdar shall notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, either suo motu or on the application of the tenant, hold an inquiry and direct that such land shall be taken from the possession of the landlord or, as the case may be, his successor in interest and shall be restored to the tenant and the provisions of this Chapter shall, in so far as they may be applicable, apply thereto, subject to the modification that the tenant shall be deemed to have purchased the land on the date on which the land is restored to him: Provided that the tenant shall not be entitled to restoration under this sub-section unless he undertakes to cultivate the land personally. Explanation.— In this sub-section, “successor-in-interest” means a person who acquires the interest by testamentary disposition or devolution on death. (5) In respect of the land deemed to have been purchased by a tenant under sub-section (1),— (a) the tenant-purchaser shall be liable to pay to the former landlord the purchase price; and (b) the tenant-purchaser shall be liable to pay to the Government, the dues, if any, from the tillers’ day.