Rights of certain cultivating tenants to be restored to possession of their lands

(1) Any cultivating tenant who has been evicted from any land on or after the 20th December, 1961, may, if the land from which he was evicted was in the possession of the proprietor on the 26th February, 1970, make an application to the Assistant Civil Administrator within six months from the appointed date for restoration of such land on the ground that he was evicted from such land without any reasonable excuse. (2) On receipt of such application or suo motu, the Assistant Civil Administrator may make such enquiry as he thinks fit. (3) If on such enquiry, the Assistant Civil Administrator is satisfied that such cultivating tenant was in possession of that land on or after the 20th December, 1961, and that he was evicted therefrom by the proprietor thereof on any ground other than the grounds specified in sub-section (4), he may order restoration of such land to the cultivating tenant, or direct the proprietor to pay such compensation to him as the Assistant Civil Administrator may deem appropriate in the circumstances of the case. (4) The grounds referred to in sub-section (3) are the following:— (a) the cultivating tenant had failed to pay rent to the proprietor; (b) the cultivating tenant had failed to cultivate the land personally; (c) the cultivating tenant had unlawfully sub-let the land; (d) the cultivating tenant had done any act which was permanently injurious or destructive to the land.