Special privileges for member of Armed Forces

(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), any pannaiyal, who is enrolled as a member of the Armed Forces, may, on discharge or retirement from service, or on being sent to Reserve, make within the prescribed period an application for reinstatement to the Conciliation Officer. Upon such application he shall be entitled to be reinstated as a pannaiyal with all the rights enjoyed by him immediately before his enrolment as a member of the Armed Forces. (2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to entitle the pannaiyal to be reinstated if having regard to all or any of the following matters, namely— (a) the reduction, if any, in the extent of the farm after the date of the enrolment; (b) the nature of the agricultural operations carried on in respect of that farm on or after the date of the application; (c) such other matters as may be prescribed; the Conciliation Officer is satisfied that it will not be just and proper to require the landowner to reinstate the pannaiyal. (3) The Conciliation Officer may, on receipt of an application under sub-section (1), call upon the landowner and the pannaiyal concerned to appear before him in person or by agent and to represent their respective cases. (4) After considering the representations, if any, so made, and after making such further inquiry into the case as he may deem fit, he may, by an award in writing, require the landowner to take back the pannaiyal and reinstate him with all the rights enjoyed by him immediately before his enrolment as a member of the Armed Forces: Provided that any award for reinstating any pannaiyal under this section shall, in respect of any farm where there are standing crops on the date of such award, take effect immediately after the harvest of such crops. (5) The provisions of sub-sections (4) and (5) of section 12 shall, as far as may be, apply in relation to an award under sub-section (4) as they apply in relation to an award under sub-section (3) of section 12. (6) Where a member of the Armed Forces dies while in service, the special privileges conferred by this section on such member shall be available to the widow of such member, or any person dependent upon such member immediately before his death. Explanation.—In this section 'member of the Armed Forces' shall have the same meaning as in clause (29) of section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling on Land) Act, 1961 (Tamil Nadu Act 58 of 1961).