Chapter I PRELIMINARY

(1) This Act may be called the Kerala Survey and Boundaries Act, 1961. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala and shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (i) "Collector" means the collector of the district, having jurisdiction over the area; (ii) "Government land" means any land the proprietary right in which vests in the Government; [2][(ii a) 'licensed surveyor' means a person duly licensed by the prescribed officer under section 17B;] (iii) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act; (iv) "registered holder of any land" means the person in whose name the land in question is registered in the Government accounts of the village. Explanation (1).- When any person other than the registered holder is in lawful management of a land, otherwise than as agent or servant of the registered holder or as mortgagee, such person shall be deemed to be the registered holder in respect of such land. Explanation (2).-When a land is so registered in the names of two or more persons jointly, the registered holder shall, for the purposes of this Act, be the person who is recognized by the other joint holder or joint holders as the manager of the land or who, in the case of dispute, is recognized by the Collector as the principal joint holder; (v) "registered land" means any land the proprietary right in which does not vest in the Government; (vi) "survey" includes all operations incidental to the determination, measurement and record of a boundary or boundaries or any part of a boundary and includes a resurvey; (vii) "survey mark" means any mark or object, erected, made, employed or specified by a Survey Officer to indicate or determine or assist in determining the position or level of any point or points ; (viii) "Survey Officer" means any officer appointed by the Government as a Survey Officer under section 3; (ix) "Village Official" includes Village Officer, Village Assistant Adhikari, Menon, Potail and Shanbogue.