Assignment of lands by Land Board

(1) Subject to the provisions of section 94, the Land Board shall, after reserving in each village the lands necessary for public purposes, assign on registry the remaining lands vested in the Government under section 86 or section 87, as specified below: (i) the holdings in which there are kudikidappukars shall, as far as possible, be assigned to such kudikidappukars; (ii) out of the remaining area available for assignment- (a) fifty per cent shall be assigned to the landless agricultural labourers of which one-half shall be assigned to the landless agricultural labourers belonging to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes residing in the same village or adjacent villages; (b) twenty-five per cent shall be assigned to small holders and other landlords who are not entitled to resume any land; (c) the remaining twenty-five per cent shall be assigned to the cultivators who do not possess more than 5 acres of land in extent: Provided that in assigning lands under this sub-section to the persons specified in sub-clause (a), sub-clause (b), or sub-clause (c), first preference shall be given to ex-servicemen belonging to the respective classes, and, subject as above, preference shall be given to co-operative societies formed by persons specified in the respective sub-clauses: Provided further that where the excess land that is available for assignment is either kayal or kole nilam, such land shall be assigned only to co-operative societies formed by landless agricultural labourers. Explanation.-For the purposes of this sub-section, a kudikidappukaran or a tenant of a kudiyiruppu shall be deemed to be a landless agricultural labourer if he does not possess any other land. (2) The Land Board shall not assign to any person more than 5 acres in extent of land. (3) Where a person possesses any land, only so much land as will make the extent of land in his possession five acres shall be assigned to him.