Hearing of objections

(1) The State Board shall, as soon as may be after the filing of every declaration under the sub-section (3) of section 16, publish the declaration in the Fort St. George Gazette and in such other manner as may be prescribed and forward the declaration to the Inquiry Officer concerned. (2) Any person whose interests are affected by any such declaration may, within two months of the publication of the declaration, file objections on the same before the Inquiry Officer. (3) The Inquiry Officer shall register every such objection, fix a date for its hearing and shall give notice of such date to the donor, the objector, the State Board and the Local Committee concerned. (4) On the date of hearing or any other date to which it may be postponed, the Inquiry Officer shall proceed to investigate and dispose of the objection and by order within such time as may be prescribed either confirm the declaration or declare it null and void. Where there is no objection, the Inquiry Officer, after making such inquiry as he deems fit, shall, as soon as may be, by order, confirm the declaration or declare it null and void. (5) (a) Where the Inquiry Officer passes an order under sub-section (4) confirming a declaration, he shall, as soon as may be, communicate the order along with the record of his proceedings to the State Board. (b) As soon as may be after the receipt of the order referred to in clause (a), the State Board shall (i) publish such order in the Fort St. George Gazette; and (ii) send a copy of such order duly authenticated by any officer authorized by the State Board in this behalf to the registering officer under the Indian Registration Act, 1908 (Central Act XVI of 1908), within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the land to which the order relates is situated and such registering officer shall register such order: Provided that no fee shall be payable for such registration and it shall not be necessary for any officer of the State Board to appear in person or by agent at the registration office in any proceeding connected with such registration. (6) Upon such registration, all the right, title and interest of the donor in such land shall, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force but subject to the provisions of section 23, stand transferred to, and vest in, the State Board for the purposes of the Bhoodan Yagna. (a) Where the Inquiry Officer passes an order under sub-section (4) confirming a declaration, he shall, as soon as may be, communicate the order along with the record of his proceedings to the State Board. (b) As soon as may be after the receipt of the order referred to in clause (a), the State Board shall— (i) publish such order in the Fort St. George Gazette; and (ii) send a copy of such order duly authenticated by any officer authorised by the State Board in this behalf to the registering officer under the Indian Registration Act, 1908 (Central Act XVI of 1908), within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the land to which the order relates is situated and such registering officer shall register such order: Provided that no fee shall be payable for such registration and it shall not be necessary for any officer of the State Board to appear in person or by agent at the registration office in any proceeding connected with such registration. (6) Upon such registration, all the right, title and interest of the donor in such land shall, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force but subject to the provisions of section 23, stand transferred to, and vest in, the State Board for the purposes of the Bhoodan Yagna. (8) The State Board may at any stage of the proceedings reject the declaration of a donor on any of the following grounds, namely:— (i) that the donor is incompetent to make the donation; (ii) that the title of the donor is defective; (iii) that there is a dispute regarding the title; (iv) that there are arrears of land revenue or rent; (v) that the land donated is common pasture land, cremation or burial ground, tank, pathway or thrashing floor; or (vi) any other prescribed grounds. (9) Pending the final order under this section, the State Board may, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon between the donor and the State Board, arrange for the cultivation of the lands donated for the Bhoodan Yagna in accordance with sub-section (1) of section 16 as it thinks fit.