Bombay Presidency - Act
Bombay Merged Territories Miscellaneous Alienations Abolition Act, 1955
BOMBAY PRESIDENCY
India
India
Bombay Merged Territories Miscellaneous Alienations Abolition Act, 1955
Act 22 of 1955
- Published on 3 June 1955
- Not commenced
- [This is the version of this document from 3 June 1955.]
- [Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]
For Statement of Objects and Reasons see Bombay Government Gazette, 1955, Part V, page 350.(This Act received the assent of the President on the 23rd May 1955; assent first published in the Bombay Government Gazette, Part IV, on the 3rd June 1955).An Act to abolish miscellaneous alienations of various kinds prevailing in the merged territories in the State of Bombay.Whereas certain kinds of alienations prevailing in the merged territories and merged areas have been abolished.And Whereas it is expedient in the public interest to abolish the remaining alienations of miscellaneous character prevailing in the merged territories and to provide for matters consequential and incidental thereto; It is hereby enacted in the Sixth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-(2)It extends to the merged territories in the [pre-Reorganisation State of Bombay, excluding the transferred territories.] (3)It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint in this behalf. (2)The other words or expressions used but not defined in this Act shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Code. (3)References in this Act to the incidents of alienations shall, notwithstanding the abolition of the alienations by this Act, be construed as references to the incidents as they were in force immediately before the appointed date. (4)If any question arises-(i)whether any land is an alienation, (ii)whether any alienation is a grant of soil or an assignment of land revenue or both or is a grant of total or partial exemption from payment of land revenue, (iii)whether any alienation is a community service inam or watan, (iv)whether a commutation settlement in respect of any watan has or has not been effected, (v)whether any land held under an alienation is or is not alienable without the permission of a competent authority, (vi)whether any alienation is hereditary or for the life-time of the alienee, or (vii)whether any person is an inferior holder or a permanent tenant, the State Government shall decide the question and such decision shall be final: Provided that the State Government may authorise any officer to decide questions arising under any of the clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) and subject to an appeal to the State Government, the decision of such officer shall be final. (2)Where an alienation is held jointly for service appertaining to a watan and for any other service useful to Government then for the purposes of this Act, the State Government shall, after holding such inquiry as it may think fit, decide what portion of such alienation shall be deemed to be an alienation held for service appertaining to a watan and what portion thereof shall be deemed to be an alienation held for any other service useful to Government.[Explanation. - For the purposes of this section an inam held by a religious or charitable institution means an inam granted or recognised as a grant by the ruling authority for the time being before merger for a religious or charitable institution and entered as such in the record maintained in this behalf in the Indian State concerned before merger] (i)all alienations shall be deemed to have been abolished; (ii)save as expressly provided by or under this Act all rights legally subsisting on the said date in respect of such alienations and all other incidents of such alienations shall be deemed to have been extinguished. (a)if such land is in the actual possession of the alienee or in possession of a person holding through or from him other than an inferior holder, such alienee, and (b)if such land is in the possession of an inferior holder, such inferior holder, shall be primarily liable to the State Government for the payment of land revenue due in respect of the land held by him and shall be entitled to all the rights and shall be liable to all the obligations in respect of such land as an occupant under the Code or the rules made thereunder:Provided that if under the terms of the alienation such land is resumable for nonperformance of service, the alienee or inferior holder, as the case may be, shall be entitled to the rights of an occupant in respect of such land on payment to the State Government of the occupancy price equal to six times the amount of the full assessment of such land within the prescribed period:[Provided further that,(a)on or after the commencement of the Bombay Paragana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition), the Bombay Service Inams (Useful to Community) Abolition, the Bombay Merged Territories Miscellaneous Alienations Abolition, the Bombay Inferior Village Watans Abolition and the Maharashtra Revenue Patels (Abolition of Office) (Amendment) Act, 2000 (hereinafter, in this section, referred to as "the commencement date"), the occupancy of such land may be transferred by the occupant for agricultural purpose, and no previous sanction or no objection certificate from the Collector or any other authority shall be necessary for such transfer. After such transfer, the land shall be continued to be held by such transferee occupant on new and impartiable tenure (Occupant Class II), in accordance with the provisions of the Code; and [(b) before the commencement date, if any such occupancy has already, without previous sanction or no objection .certificate from the Collector or any other authority, been transferred by the occupant, for agricultural purpose, such transfer may be regularized on the production of registered instruments such as sale deed, gift deed, etc., as a proof thereof, for such transfer. After such regularisation, the occupancy of such land shall be held by such transferee occupant on new and impartiable tenure (Occupant Class II), in accordance with the provisions of the Code:"]Provided also that, any such occupancy held On new and impartiable tenure (Occupant Class II) may after the commencement date, be converted into Old tenure (Occupant Class I) by the occupant, by making payment of fifty per cent, of the amount of the current market value of such land to the Government, and after such conversion, such land shall be held by the occupant as Occupant Class I, in accordance with the provisions of the Code:Provided also that, if on the commencement date, any such occupancy has already, with the prior permission of the Collector or any other competent authority, on payment of the appropriate amount as Nazarana, been transferred for non-agricultural use, such transfer of occupancy shall be deemed to have been made under the third proviso hereinabove, and the land shall be deemed to be held by the occupant as an Occupant Class I, in accordance with the provisions of the Code, with effect from the date of such transfer:Provided also that, if on the commencement date, any such occupancy has already, without prior permission of the Collector or any other competent authority and without payment of the amount equal to fifty per cent of the current market value of such land as Nazarana, been transferred for non-agricultural use, such transfer may be regularised on payment of an amount equal to fifty per cent of the current market value of such land for non-agricultural use as Nazarana, and an amount equal to fifty per cent. of such Nazarana as a fine, and on such payment, the occupant shall hold the land as an Occupant Class I, in accordance with the provisions of the Code.](1)in the case of a watan, if the commutation settlement permits the transfer of the land appertaining to such watan, the land shall be regranted to the holder without payment of any occupancy price; (2)in the case of a watan to which clause (1) does not apply, the land appertaining to the watan shall be regranted to the holder on payment of the occupancy price equal to twelve times the amount of the full assessment of such land within the prescribed period:Provided that in respect of the land held under a watan which has not been assigned towards the emoluments of the person performing the service appertaining to the watan occupany price equal to six times the amount of the full assessment of such land shall be paid by the holder within the aforesaid period for its regrant;[(3) (a) On or after the commencement of the Bombay Paragana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition), the Bombay Service Inams (Useful to Community) Abolition, the Bombay Merged Territories Miscellaneous Alienations Abolition, the Bombay Inferior Village Watans Abolition and the Maharashtra Revenue Patels (Abolition of Office) (Amendment) Act, 2000 (hereinafter, in this section, referred to as "the commencement date"), the occupancy of the land regranted under sub-section (1) may be transferred by the occupant for agricultural purpose, and no previous sanction or no objection certificate from the Collector or any other authority shall be necessary for such transfer. After such transfer, the land shall be continued to be held by such transferee occupant on new and impartiable tenure (Occupant Class II) in accordance with the provisions of the Code.[(b) Before the commencement date, if any such occupancy has already, without previous sanction or no objection certificate from the Collector or any other authority, been transferred by the occupant, for agricultural purpose, such transfer may be regularized on the production of registered instruments such as sale deed, gift deed, etc., as a proof thereof, for such transfer. After such regularisation, the occupancy of such land shall be held by such transferee occupant on new and impartiable tenure (Occupant Class II), in accordance with the provisions of the Code:]Provided that, any such occupancy held on new and impartiable tenure (Occupant Class II) may, after the commencement date, be converted into old tenure (Occupant Class I) by the occupant by making payment of fifty per cent. of the amount of the current market value of such land to the Government, and after such conversion, such land shall be held by the occupant as Occupant Class I, in accordance with the provisions of the Code:Provided further that, if on the commencement date, any such occupancy has already, with the prior permission of the Collector or any other competent authority on payment of the appropriate amount as Nazarana, been transferred for nonagricultural use, such transfer of occupancy shall be deemed to have been made under the first proviso and the land shall be deemed to be held by the occupant as an Occupant Class I, in accordance with the provisions of the Code, with effect from the date of such transfer:Provided also that, if on the commencement date, any such occupancy has already, without prior permission of the Collector or any other competent authority and without payment of the amount equal to fifty per cent. of the current market value of such land as Nazarana, been transferred for non-agricultural use, such transfer may be regularised on payment of an amount equal to fifty per cent. of the current market value of such land for non-agricultural use as Nazarana, and an amount equal to fifty per cent. of such Nazarana as a fine, and on such payment, the occupant shall hold the land as an Occupant Class I, in accordance with the provisions of the Code.]Explanation. - For the purpose of this section, the expression "holder" shall include- (1)an alienee holding land under a watan, and (2)in the case of a watan the commutation settlement in respect of which permits the transfer of the land appertaining to the watan, a person in whom the ownership of such land for the time being vests. (2)The occupancy of land conferred on the holder of a Dharmadaya Chakariat or Pasaita Chakariat and which was not a permanent alienation within the meaning of the Baroda Giras Rules shall not be transferable or partible by metes and bounds without the previous sanction of the Collector and except on payment of such amount as the State Government may by general or special order determine. (a)if such land is in the actual possession of the alienee or is in the possession of a person holding through or from him other than an inferior holder, such alienee, and (b)if such land is in the possession of an inferior holder, such inferior holder, shall be primarily liable to the State Government for the payment of land revenue due in respect of the land held by him and shall be entitled to all the rights and shall be liable to all the obligations in respect of such land as an occupant under the Code or the rules made thereunder:Provided that if in respect of an alienated land the alienation consists of the grant of the soil with or without exemption from payment of land revenue, the alienee or the inferior holder, as the case may be, shall be entitled to the rights of an occupant in respect of such land on payment to the State Government of the occupancy price equal to six times the amount of the full assessment of such land within the prescribed period:Provided further that if under the terms of the alienation such land was not alienable except with the permission of a competent authority, the occupancy of the land shall not be transferable or partible by metes and bounds without the previous sanction of the Collector and except on payment of such amount as the State Government may by general or special order determine.(2)If any person, who is liable to pay to the Girassia or Jiwaidar, as the case may be, the occupancy price in respect of any land under section 8, fails to pay the same within the prescribed period, it shall be recoverable as an arrear of land revenue and the amount so recovered shall be paid to the Girassia or Jiwaidar, as the case may be. (2)For the purpose of sub-section (1), the amount of land revenue shall be the amount received or due to the alienee on account of assignment of land revenue for the year immediately preceding the appointed date. (2)For the purpose of sub-section (1), the amount of cash allowance shall be the amount paid or payable to the alienee for the year immediately preceding the appointed date and the value of the allowance in kind shall be the value of the allowance in kind paid or payable to the alienee for the year immediately preceding the appointed date, such value being determined in the prescribed manner. (i)if the property in question is waste or uncultivated but is cultivable land, the amount of compensation shall not exceed three times the assessment of the land: Provided that if the land has not been assessed, the amount of compensation shall not exceed such amount of assessment as would be leviable in the same village on the same extent of similar land used for the same purpose;(ii)if the property in question is land over which the public has been enjoying or has acquired a right or way or any individual has any right of easement, the amount of compensation, shall not exceed the amount of the annual assessment leviable in the village for uncultivated land in accordance with the rules made under the Code or if such rules do not provide for the levy of such assessment, such amount as in the opinion of the Collector shall be the market value of the right or interest held by the claimant; (iii)if there are any trees or structures on the land, the amount of compensation shall be the market value of such trees or structures, as the case may be. Explanation. - For the purposes of this section, the "market value" shall mean the value as estimated in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 23 and section 24 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, in so far as the said provisions may be applicable.(2)On receipt of an application under sub-section (1), the Collector shall after making formal enquiry in the manner provided by the Code, make an award determining the amount of compensation. Where there are co-sharers claiming compensation, the Collector shall by his award apportion the compensation between the co-sharers. (2)The application under sub-section (1) shall be made to the Collector in the prescribed form within the prescribed period. The Collector shall, after holding a formal inquiry in the manner provided by the Code, make an award determining the compensation in the manner and according to the method provided for in subsection (1) of section 23 and section 24 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. (3)Nothing in this section shall entitle any person to compensation on the ground that any alienated land which was wholly or partially exempt from payment of land revenue has been under the provisions of this Act made subject to the payment of full assessment in accordance with the provisions of the Code. (2)In deciding an appeal under this Act the Bombay Revenue Tribunal shall exercise all the powers which a Court has and shall follow the same procedure which a Court follows in deciding appeals from the decree or order of an original court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. (2)If the alienee fails without reasonable, to deliver any such records, he shall on conviction, be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees. In the case of a continuing failure to delivery any such records the alienee shall be punished with an additional fine which may extend to twenty-five rupees for every day during which such failure continues after conviction for the first such failure. (1)any obligation or liability already incurred under an incident of an alienation before the date on which this Act comes into force, or (2)any proceeding or remedy in respect of such obligation or liability, and any such proceeding or remedy may by instituted, continued or enforced as if this Act had not been passed.