Section 11(1) in Tamil Nadu Inam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963
(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 (ii) 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.
