Vidhi Codex

Bare Act

The Saurashtra Land Reform-1951

General195172 sections8 chapters

The Saurashtra Land Reforms Act, 1951 regulates agricultural land tenure across the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. It applies primarily to traditional feudal landholders, known as Girasdars, and the tenant farmers who cultivate their estates. The legislation abolishes intermediary feudal rights, caps agricultural rents, prevents arbitrary tenant evictions, and enables tenant farmers to acquire direct ownership and occupancy rights over agricultural land upon paying regulated compensation. Simultaneously, it allows landlords to reserve limited land for personal cultivation and grants them rehabilitation financial assistance. This law matters because it dismantled feudal landownership, empowered tenant cultivators, and established direct revenue relations between farmers and the state.

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Chapter I PRELIMINARY →

  1. 1Short title, extent and commencement
  2. 2Definitions
  3. 3Act to over-ride other laws.

Chapter II LAND REVENUE AND CLASSIFICATION OF GIRASDARS →

  1. 4All Girasdari land liable to payment of land revenue.
  2. 5Classification of Girasdars

Chapter III GIRASDARS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH TENANTS →

  1. 6Persons when deemed to be tenants
  2. 7Restrictions on rent
  3. 8Cess, rate, hak tax or service not leviable
  4. 9Penalty, refund and compensation
  5. 10Land revenue payable by Girasdar
  6. 11Suspension or remission of rent
  7. 12Termination of Tenancy
  8. 13Belief against termination of tenancy for non-payment.
  9. 13ATermination of tenancy not to take effect in certain cases.
  10. 13BAssistance to Girasdar for recovery of rent.
  11. 14Bar to eviction from drwelling-house.
  12. 15Belief against eviction from dwelling-house in certain cases.
  13. 16Dwelling-house of agricultural labourers.
  14. 17Restoration of possession
  15. 18Act not to affect rights or privileges of tenant under any other law.

Chapter IV ALLOTMENT OF LAND TO GIRASDARS FOR PERSONAL CULTIVATION →

  1. 19Application by Girasdar for allotment of land for personal cultivation.
  2. 20Inquiry by Mamlatdar and order of allotment.
  3. 21Allotment of land to Girasdars of A and B class.
  4. 22Principles and method of allotment of laud to Girasdars of A and B class.
  5. 23Girasdars to whom land maybe allotted.
  6. 24Allotment of land to C class Girasdars.
  7. 25Special provision for allotment to Girasdars of land for personal cultivation from verayati land.
  8. 26Allotment of land, etc, in Girasdari Majmu village.
  9. 27Saving in certain cases.

Chapter V ACQUISITION OF OCCUPANCY RIGHTS BY TENANTS →

  1. 28Acquisition of occupancy rights by tenants
  2. 29Inquiry by Mamlatdar.
  3. 30Issue of occupancy certificate to a tenant.
  4. 31Consequence of the issue of occupancy certificate.
  5. 32Occupancy certificate when to be effective'.
  6. 33Payment of compensation.
  7. 34Dwelling houses.
  8. 35Chav or buta hak.
  9. 35AClaims of widow-jiwaidars
  10. 36Girasdar's right to be deemed to be extinguished
  11. 37Certain mortgages and charges not enforceable against occupancy holding
  12. 38Borrowing of tenant from the State Bank
  13. 39Girasdar to be occupant
  14. 40Assessments payable by Girasdars on Gharkhed and land allotted under Chapter IV
  15. 41Payments to be charged

Chapter VI REHABILITATION GRANT →

  1. 42Rehabilitation grant
  2. 43Rehabilitation grant not liable to seizure or attachment

Chapter VII MISCELLANEOUS →

  1. 44Assessment
  2. 45Appointment of Settlement Commissioner and Special Officer
  3. 46Functions of Mamlatdar
  4. 47Procedure of inquiry
  5. 48Commencement of proceedings
  6. 49Procedure
  7. 50Execution of order for payment of money or for restoring possession
  8. 51Appeal
  9. 52Revision
  10. 53Orders in appeal or revision
  11. 54Court fees
  12. 55Limitation
  13. 56Inquiries and proceedings to be judicial proceedings
  14. 57Penalty for marking false statements
  15. 58Obstruction with the rights obtained under this Act
  16. 59Rules
  17. 60Delegation of Powers
  18. 61Summary eviction
  19. 62Bar of jurisdiction
  20. 63Governments power of control and revision
  21. 64Indemnity
  22. 65Repeal

Chapter V-A ACQUISITION OF OCCUPANCY RIGHTS BY SETTLEMENT COMMISSIONER ON BEHALF OF CERTAIN TENANTS →

  1. 41AAcquisition of occupancy rights by Settlement Commissioner
  2. 41BConsequences of the issue of the occupancy certificate
  3. 41CTransfer of occupancy certificate
  4. 41DApplication of certain provisions

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