The KERALA GOVERNMENT LAND ASSIGNMENT ACT, 1960

THE KERALA GOVERNMENT LAND ASSIGNMENT ACT, 1960 (ACT 30 OF 1960)

1. (1) This Act may be called the Kerala Government Land Assignment Act, 1960.
2. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala.
3. (3) It shall come into force at once.

1. (1) The following, that is to say:—
   • (i) all public roads, streets, lanes and paths, the bridges, ditches, dykes and fences on or beside the same;
   • (ii) the bed of the sea and of harbours and creeks below high water-mark, the beds and banks of rivers, streams, irrigation and drainage channels;
   • (iii) all canals, tanks, lakes, back-waters and water-courses;
   • (iv) all land wherever situated, save in so far as the same are the property of—
   • (a) jenmis or holders of Inams; or
   • (b) holders of land in anyway subject to the payment of land revenue to the Government; or
   • (c) any other registered holder of land in proprietary right; or
   • (d) any person holding land under grant from the Government otherwise than by way of lease or licence; or Received the assent of the President on 24th November, 1960 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary dated 30th November, 1960.
   • (e) any person claiming through or holding under any of the persons referred to in clause (a), (b), (c), or (d), are, and are hereby declared to be, Government lands except as may be otherwise provided by any law for the time being in force, subject to all rights of way and other public rights and to the natural and easement rights of other land owners and to all customary rights legally subsisting. Explanation I.—Lands registered in the name of a person but subsequently abandoned or relinquished and all lands held by right of escheat, purchase, resumption, reversion or acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act for the time being in force are Government lands within the meaning of this sub-section. Explanation II.—In this sub-section, the expression "high-water mark" means the highest point reached by the ordinary spring-tide at any season of the year.
2. (2) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
   • (a) "assignment" includes a transfer of land by way of lease and a grant of licence for the use of land;
   • (b) "assignee" includes his heirs;
   • (c) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act.

Government land may be assigned by the Government or by any prescribed authority either absolutely or subject to such restrictions, limitations and conditions as may be prescribed.

Explanation.—Any restriction as to alienation, whether voluntary or otherwise, of the rights of the assignee, shall be a restriction within the meaning of this section.

1. (1) When any Government land is proposed to be assigned by the prescribed authority, otherwise than by way of lease or licence, the Tahsildar of the taluk in which the land is situate or any officer empowered by the Government in this behalf shall notify in the prescribed manner that such land will, by public auction or otherwise, be assigned, and call upon those who have got any claim to such land to prefer to him their objections, if any, in writing, within a time which shall be specified in such notification.
2. (2) If any objection is preferred within the time specified in the notification, the Tahsildar or such other officer shall enquire into the same and pass an order in writing either accepting or rejecting the claim in full or in part and intimate in writing the fact of such disposal to the claimant.
3. (3) For the purposes of the enquiry under sub-section (2) the officer making the enquiry shall have all the powers conferred upon the Collectors and Tahsildars by the law for the time being in force regarding summoning of persons for disposal of matters connected with revenue administration.

(a) When the time fixed in the notification under sub-section (1) of section 4 has elapsed and no objection has been preferred; or (b) when any objection preferred is rejected and— (i) the time for preferring an appeal from the order has elapsed and no appeal has been preferred; or (ii) when an appeal has been preferred and the appeal is rejected by the appellate authority, the land may, subject to such rules as may be made by the Government in this behalf, be assigned by the prescribed authority.

No suit against the Government shall be entertained in any civil court

in respect of any order passed under this Act except upon the ground that(a) the order is in breach of any completed agreement to assign, or (b) the land in respect of which such order has been passed is not Government

land:

Provided that any such suit by a person who was a party or privy to and had due notice of the proceeding under this Act shall be instituted within two years from the date of service of the notice of such order.

1. (1) The Government may make rules—
   • (a) prescribing the manner in which assignment of land may be made, whether by public auction or otherwise;
   • (b) prescribing the qualifications of persons to whom assignment of lands may be made;
   • (c) prescribing the order of priority for the assignment of land, whether by public auction or otherwise;
   • (d) prescribing the authority by which such assignment may be made;
   • (e) prescribing the procedure to be followed in assigning the land;
   • (f) providing for the publication of notifications and service of notices;
   • (g) prescribing the procedure to be followed in the enquiry regarding claims preferred;
   • (h) prescribing the rates at which land may be assigned and tree growths may be valued; and the mode of recovery of the amounts due;
     • (i) providing for the protection of royalties on the land assigned;
   • (j) prescribing the restrictions, limitations and conditions subject to which an assignment can be made in any case or class of cases;
   • (k) providing for appeals from the orders of any authority competent to assign any land;
   • (l) prescribing the time within which appeals may be preferred;
   • (m) regulating the powers of the appellate authority and the procedure to be followed by such authority;
   • (n) providing for revision by the Board of Revenue of any order passed by the prescribed authority, and prescribing the time within which such revisional power may be exercised;
   • (o) regulating the issue of Pattah or other title-deed evidencing the assignment;
   • (p) prescribing forms where forms are necessary; and
   • (q) generally for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
2. (2) All rules made under this Act shall be published in the Gazette and thereupon they shall have the force of law.
3. (3) All rules made under this Act shall be laid for not less than fourteen days before the Legislative Assembly, as soon as possible after they are made, and shall be subject to such modifications as the Legislative Assembly may make during the session in which they are so laid or the session immediately following.

All the provisions, restrictions, conditions and limitations contained in any Pattah or other document evidencing the assignment of Government land or of any interest therein shall be valid and take effect according to their tenor, notwithstanding any law or for the time being in force or any custom or contract to the contrary.

Explanation.—In this section, the expression "Government land" shall include land under the control or management of the Government at the time of the assignment.

1. (1) The Travancore-Cochin Government Land Assignment Act, 1950 (XXXIII of 1950), is hereby repealed.
2. (2) The Government Grants Act, 1895 (Central Act 15 of 1895), in so far as it relates to any grant or other transfer of land or of any interest therein by or on behalf of the Government of Kerala, shall cease to apply to the Malabar District referred to in sub-clause
3. (2) of section 5 of the State Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Central Act 37 of 1956).
4. (3) All rules and orders made or deemed to have been made under the TravancoreCochin Government Land Assignment Act, 1950, hereby repealed, and all rules and orders in force immediately before the commencement of this Act relating to the assignment of Government lands in the Malabar district referred to in sub-section (2) of section 5 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Central Act 37 of 1956), so far as they are not inconsistent with this Act, shall be deemed to have been made under the corresponding provisions of this Act, and shall continue to be in force accordingly unless and until superseded by anything done or any action taken under this Act. _____