(1)Notwithstanding anything contained in any engagement, contract, grant or other law for the time being in force, it shall be lawful for the State Government to levy on every inam land, with effect from the fasli year commencing on the 1st July, 1955, an assessment at the following rates;(a)if a settlement is in force in the village in which the inam land is situated, at the rates of assessment set out in such notification for lands of the same tarram and classification;(b)in cases not falling under clause (a), at the rates of assessment to be fixed by the Collector with reference to settlement rates for similar lands in neighbouring ryotwari villages:Provided that if any jodi or kattubadi is payable in respect of an inam to the landholder of an estate, the amount of such jodi or kattubadi shall be deducted from the assessment payable to the State Government under this Section:Provided further that in the case of an inam granted on service tenure which is proved to consist of an assignment of land revenue only, no assessment under this sub-section shall be leviable and the inamdar shall be liable to pay only the quit rent, jodi, kattubadi or other amount of a like nature, if any, which, he has been paying before the commencement of this Act:Provided also that no assessment under this sub-section shall be leviable where a service inam belongs to any of the following classes of inams, namely (i) village carpenter, (ii) village black smith, (iii) village barber (iv) village washerman, (v) village potter, (vi) village pumhit or priest (vii) village astrologer, (viii) village archaka, (ix) village vetti, (x) village nirganti, (xi) village madiga and such other service inams which the State Government may by special or general order notify in that behalf in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, and the holder of such inam shall be liable to pay only the quit rent, jodi, kattubadi or other amount of a like nature, if any, which he has been paying before the commencement of this Act, provided that the inamdar continues to be in possession and enjoyment of the inam land.Explanation: If any quit rent, jodi, kattubadi or other amount of a like nature was payable to the State Government immediately before the commencement of this Act in respect of any inam, the assessment leviable on such inam under this Section shall be in lieu of such quit rent, jodi or other amount aforesaid.(2)(a)Before making the assessment, the Collector shall publish in the District Gazette and in such other manner as may be prescribed, a draft notification specifying the inam lands in respect of which the assessment is proposed to be levied under sub section (1) and the rates of such assessment together with a notice specifying a date not being less than one month from the date of such publication, at or after which such draft will be taken into consideration, and shall confirm or modify the assessment or pass such orders as he deems fit after considering any objections which may be made in respect of the draft of the inamdar or other person interested before the specified date and after making such enquiry, if any, as he deems fit;(b)Any person deeming himself aggrieved by a decision of the Collector under clause (a) may prefer an appeal to the District Collector within the prescribed period, and the District Collector may, after giving the appellant an opportunity of being heard, pass such orders on the appeal as he thinks fit;(c)The decision of the District Collector under clause (b), and in case where no appeal has been preferred the decision of the Collector under clause (a), shall, subject to provisions of this Act, be final and shall not be liable to be questioned in a court of law.(3)The inam lands and rates of assessment leviable thereon as finally decided, shall then be published in the District Gazette and in such other manner as may be prescribed.
