Procedure for regulating the discharge of joint responsibility of tenants

(1) When under any of the provisions of this Act, the duty and responsibility of any work of conservancy, maintenance or repair of any bund, embankment, ridge, sluice gate or any other work is that of more than one tenant, Government may, by rules regulate the manner in which such duty or responsibility shall be discharged and also the determination and recovery of the share of a tenant of the cost of a work to which he is under an obligation to contribute. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, such rules may provide for — (i) the constitution, functions and organisation of tenants associations for any local area; (ii) the management and regulation of sources of income of the associations such as income from trees on bunds, operation of sluice-gates, fisheries and such other sources of income as may be prescribed; (iii) the termination of the beneficiaries of any work, the apportionment and recovery of the cost of such work from among them; (iv) the manner in which works shall be executed; and (v) the conditions and mode of payment of Government’s contribution. (3) any sum which is payable by a tenant or any other person towards the cost of any such work as is referred to in sub-section (1) shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue. Explanation:— For the purpose of this section the term “tenant” shall include every person who cultivates the land personally.