21. Tenant to be given first option of purchasing site on which he has built a dwelling house:.
(1)If the landholder of a site referred to in Section 20 intends to sell such site, such tenant at the expense of whom or whose predecessor-in-title, a dwelling house is built thereon, shall be given in the manner provided in sub-section (2) the first option of purchasing the site at a value determined by the Tribunal.(2)The landholder intending to sell such site shall give notice in writing to the tenant requiring him to state within three months from the date of service of such notice whether he is willing to purchase the site.(3)If within the said period the tenant intimates in writing to the landholder that he is willing to purchase the site, the landholder shall make an application to the Tribunal for the determination of value of the site. On receipt of such application the Tribunal, after giving notice to the tenant and after holding enquiry, shall determine the value of the site, and shall by an order in writing, require the tenant to deposit the amount of value so determined within three months from the date of such order. On the deposit of such amount the site shall be deemed to have been transferred to the tenant and the amount deposited shall be paid to the landholder and the Tribunal shall, on payment of the prescribed fees, grant a certificate in the prescribed form to the tenant specifying therein the site so transferred and the name of the tenant.(4)[ If in respect of a site which a landholder offers to sell to the tenant under the provisions of sub-section (1) the value payable therefor by the tenant is agreed to between him and the landholder either the land-holder or the tenant or both jointly may apply to the Tribunal and thereupon the Tribunal shall on the payment of the prescribed fees grant a certificate in the prescribed form. The value that is so agreed upon shall be deemed to be the value determined by the Tribunal for the purposes of sub-section (3).] [Sub-rule (4) added and sub-rules (4) and (5) re-numbered as (5) and (6) respectively by Act 3 of 1954.](5)[] [Sub-rule (4) added and sub-rule (4) and (5) re-numbered as (5) and (6) respectively by Act 3 of 1954.] If the tenant fails to intimate his willingness to purchase the site within the period referred to in sub-section (2) or fails to deposit the amount of the value within the time specified in sub-section (3), the tenant shall be deemed to have relinquished his right of first option to purchase the site and the landholder shall thereupon be entitled to evict the tenant after either paying him such compensation for the value of the structure of the dwelling house as may be determined by the Tribunal or allowing the tenant at his option to remove the materials of the structure.(6)[] [Sub-rule (4) added and sub-rule (4) and (5) re-numbered as (5) and (6) respectively by Act 3 of 1954.] Any sale of a site effected in contravention of the Section shall be void.
