Section 11 in Tamil Nadu Inam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963
11. 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 (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.(2)Among the persons specified in sub-section (1) those specified in clause (i) of that sub-section shall be entitled to a ryotwari patta to the exclusion of the persons specified in clauses (ii) and (iii) of that sub-section and those specified in clause (ii) of that sub-section shall be entitled to a ryotwari patta to the exclusion of the persons specified in clause (iii) of that sub-section.(3)Any ryotwari patta granted under this section shall take effect on and from the date of the grant of such patta.
