Vidhi Codex

THE KERALA LAND REFORMS ACT, 1963

The Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963

Civil1963137 sections

This law sets a maximum limit on the amount of land a single person can own in Kerala to prevent excessive wealth concentration. It applies to landlords, tenants, and agricultural labourers throughout the state. The Act matters because it redistributes land to the landless, ensures fair rent for tenants, and protects the rights of agricultural workers, thereby reducing social inequality and improving rural livelihoods by regulating agricultural operations, tenancy rights, and eviction issues.

Start reading →Read full ActSections
  1. 1. Short title, extent and commencement
  2. 2. Definitions
  3. 3. Exemptions
  4. 3S. Section 3S
  5. 4. Certain odacharthudars and persons claiming under odacharthudars to be deemed tenants
  6. 5. Certain mortgagees with possession to be deemed tenants
  7. 6. Certain mortgagees who were holding land on verumpattam on or after 1st Chingam, 1111, to be deemed tenants
  8. 7. Certain persons occupying land honestly believing to be tenants, to be deemed tenants
  9. 8. Certain persons who were cultivating land on varam arrangement to be deemed tenants
  10. 9. Certain persons who surrendered leasehold rights but continued in possession, to be deemed tenants
  11. 10. Certain other persons to be deemed tenants
  12. 11. Sambalapattamdar, sambalachittudar, etc., in Palghat district to be presumed tenants
  13. 12. Right to prove real nature of transaction
  14. 13. Right of tenants to fixity of tenure
  15. 14. Resumption for extension of places of public religious worship
  16. 15. Resumption for construction of residential buildings
  17. 16. Resumption for personal cultivation from tenant holding more than ceiling area
  18. 17. Resumption by small holder
  19. 18. General conditions and restrictions applicable to resumption under sections 14, 15, 16 and 17
  20. 19. Resumption of agricultural land interspersed within a plantation
  21. 20. Tenants from whom land is resumed to be paid compensation for improvements, and solatium
  22. 21. Priority for resumption
  23. 22. Procedure for resumption
  24. 23. Tenant's right to sue for restoration of possession of land
  25. 24. Limitation for application for restoration under section 23
  26. 25. Persons entitled to restoration
  27. 26. Recovery of arrears of rent by summary procedure
  28. 27. Fair rent
  29. 28. Exclusion of certain lands from liability to fair rent
  30. 29. Preparation of record of rights
  31. 30. Rent payable by an intermediary
  32. 31. Determination of fair rent by Land Tribunal
  33. 32. Bar of suits for eviction, etc., pending application for determination of fair rent
  34. 33. Agreement as to fair rent
  35. 34. Date from which order determining fair rent, etc., is to take effect
  36. 35. Rent payable when Land Tribunal has not determined fair rent
  37. 36. Mode of payment of rent
  38. 37. Liability for assessment
  39. 38. Remission of rent
  40. 39. Abatement or reduction of rent
  41. 40. Invalidity of claims of dues other than rent payable
  42. 41. Arrears of rent to bear interest
  43. 42. Priority of claim for arrears of rent
  44. 43. Publication of prices of commodities
  45. 44. Publication of statistics relating to gross produce of lands
  46. 45. Tenant's right to obtain receipt
  47. 46. Application to Land Tribunal when landlord refused to accept a tender
  48. 47. Procedure on application under section 46
  49. 48. Apportionment of rent on severance of interest of landlord or tenant
  50. 49. Notice to landlord and intermediary when the interest in the holding of the tenant is acquired
  51. 50. Rights of tenant to be heritable and alienable
  52. 51. Surrender by tenant
  53. 52. Rights as to timber trees
  54. 53. Cultivating tenant's right to purchase landlord's rights
  55. 54. Application for purchase of landlord's rights by cultivating tenants
  56. 55. Purchase price
  57. 56. Purchase price to be distributed among the landowner and intermediaries
  58. 57. Procedure before the Land Tribunal
  59. 58. Purchase price payable in instalments or in lump
  60. 59. Deposit of purchase price and issue of certificate of purchase
  61. 60. Purchase price to bear interest
  62. 61. Cultivating tenant to pay rent pending purchase
  63. 62. Recovery of instalments of purchase price on default
  64. 63. Payment of purchase price, amount of encumbrance, maintenance or alimony
  65. 64. Payment of purchase price to the landowner or intermediary to be full discharge
  66. 65. Special provisions relating to religious, charitable and educational institutions of a public nature
  67. 66. Procedure for vesting of rights of religious, charitable or educational institutions in Government and determination of annuity
  68. 67. Procedure for vesting of rights of religious, charitable or educational institutions in Government and determination of annuity
  69. 68. Payment of annuity
  70. 69. Vesting of the rights of religious, charitable or educational institutions in the Government not to operate as bar to the purchase of landlord's rights by cultivating tenants
  71. 70. Choice for annuity where cultivating tenant applies for purchase
  72. 71. Tenant holding under the institution to continue as tenant under the Government
  73. 72. Vesting of landlord's rights in tenants
  74. 73. Discharge of arrears of rent
  75. 74. Prohibition of future tenancies
  76. 75. Kudikidappukaran to have fixity
  77. 76. Rent payable by kudikidappukaran
  78. 77. Filing of suits against kudikidappukaran in certain cases
  79. 78. Right of kudikidappukaran to be heritable but not alienable
  80. 79. Right of kudikidappukaran to maintain, repair, etc., homestead or hut
  81. 80. Register of kudikidappukars
  82. 81. Exemptions.
  83. 82. Ceiling area
  84. 83. Families and adult unmarried persons not to own or hold lands in excess of the ceiling area
  85. 84. Certain voluntary transfers to be null and void
  86. 85. Surrender of excess lands
  87. 86. Vesting of excess lands in Government
  88. 87. Excess land obtained by gift, etc., to be surrendered
  89. 88. Persons surrendering land entitled to compensation
  90. 89. Payment of advance towards compensation
  91. 90. Preparation of compensation roll
  92. 91. Payment of compensation
  93. 92. Payment of compensation and amount of encumbrance
  94. 93. Payment of compensation to be full discharge
  95. 94. Assignment of rights vested in the Government to small holders
  96. 95. Application for assignment of land
  97. 96. Assignment of lands by Land Board
  98. 97. Payment of purchase price
  99. 98. Management of surrendered lands till assignment
  100. 99. Constitution of Land Tribunal
  101. 100. Constitution of Land Board
  102. 101. Powers of the Land Board and the Land Tribunal
  103. 102. Appeals
  104. 103. Revision by High Court
  105. 104. Proceedings by or against joint families, etc
  106. 105. Authorised officer empowered to obtain information from persons
  107. 106. Special provisions relating to leases for commercial or industrial purposes
  108. 107. Costs
  109. 108. Application of the provisions of section 5 of the Indian Limitation Act
  110. 109. Constitution of Agriculturist Rehabilitation Fund
  111. 110. Special provisions for application of the Act
  112. 111. Rent under certain contracts of tenancy not to be affected
  113. 112. Apportionment of land value in cases of acquisition
  114. 113. Prices published under section 43 to be deemed to be market rates
  115. 114. Amendments to certain enactments
  116. 115. Appearance before Land Tribunal or Land Board.
  117. 116. Court fees
  118. 117. Members of Land Board and Land Tribunal to be deemed public servants
  119. 118. Penalty for failure to furnish return
  120. 119. Penalty for furnishing false returns or information
  121. 120. Penalty for making false declaration
  122. 121. Penalty for contravention of any lawful order
  123. 122. Penalty for cutting trees or for removing any machinery, etc
  124. 123. Cognizance of offences
  125. 124. Protection of action taken under Act
  126. 125. Bar of jurisdiction of courts
  127. 126. Construction of references to acres and cents
  128. 127. Act to override other laws, etc
  129. 128. Power to remove difficulties
  130. 129. Power to make rules
  131. 130. Laying of rules and notifications before the Legislative Assembly
  132. 131. Limitation
  133. 132. Repeal and savings
  134. Schedule I. Section Schedule I
  135. Schedule II. Standard Acres of Lands
  136. Schedule III. Section Schedule III
  137. Schedule IV. Section Schedule IV

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