Power to separate shares of land-owners

(1) Where a land owner owns land jointly with other land-owners and his share of such land or part thereof has been, or is to be, declared as surplus area, the officer competent to declare such area, or where such area has been declared, the officer, competent to utilize it, may on his own motion, after summary enquiry and affording to the persons interested in such land an opportunity of being heard, separate his share of such land or part thereof in the land owned by him jointly with other land-owners. (2) Where, after the declaration of the surplus area of any person and before the utilization thereof, his land has been subjected to the process of consolidation, the officers referred to in sub-section (1) shall be competent to separate the surplus area of such person out of the area of land obtained by him after consolidation.