Grant of ryotwari patta on the basis of personal cultivation in certain cases.

(1) Where no person is entitled to a ryotwari patta in respect of a land in an inam estate, under section 9 or 10 and the land vests in the Government, the persons specified below shall be entitled to a ryotwari patta in respect of that land in the following order of preference :- (i) firstly, a person who had been personally cultivating such land for a continuous period of twelve years immediately before the 1st day of April 1960 ; (ii) secondly, if there is no such person as is referred to in clause (i), then, a person who had been lawfully admitted into possession of such land on or after the 27th day of September 1955 and who had been personally cultivating such land ever since ; and (iii) thirdly, if there is no such person as is referred to in clauses (i) and (ii), then, a person who had been personally cultivating that land on the 26th day of September 1955 and for a period of twelve years immediately before that date : Provided that no person shall be entitled to a ryotwari patta in respect of any land under clause (i) or (iii) of this sub-section if such person has voluntarily abandoned or relinquished his rights in respect of such land on or before the date of the decision of the Settlement Officer under sub-section (1) of section 12 : Provided further that no ryotwari patta shall be granted in respect of any land falling under any of the categories specified below :-- (a) forests ; (b) beds and bunds of tanks and of supply, drainage, surplus or irrigation channels ; (c) threshing floor, cattle stands, village sites, cart-tracks, roads, temple sites and such other lands as are set apart for the common use of the villagers ; (d) rivers, streams and other porambokes. Explanation.--For the purposes of this sub-section, a person is said to personally cultivate a land when he contributes his own physical labour or that of the members of his family in the cultivation of that land.