Section 118 in The Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972
118. [ Transfer of land to non-agriculturists barred. [This section 118 substituted by section 4 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 6 of 1988.]
- [(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law, contract, agreement, custom or usage for the time being in force, but save as otherwise provided in this chapter, no transfer of land (including transfer by a decree of a civil court or for recovery of arrears of land revenue) by way of sale, gift, will, exchange, lease, mortgage with possession, creation of a tenancy or in any other manner shall be valid in favour of a person who is not an agriculturist.][Explanation. - For the purpose of this sub-section, the expression "transfer of land" shall not include -(i)transfer by way of inheritance;(ii)transfer by way of gift made or will executed, in favour of any or all legal heirs of the donor or the testator, as the case may be;(iii)transfer by way of lease of land or building in a municipal area;but shall include -(a)a benami transaction in which land is transferred to an agriculturist for a consideration paid or provided by a non-agriculturist; and(b)an authorisation made by the owner by way of special or general power of attorney or by an agreement with the intention to put a non-agriculturist in possession of the land and allow him to deal with the land in the like manner as if he is a real owner of that land.](2)Nothing in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to prohibit the transfer of land by any person in favour of -(a)a landless laborer; or(b)a landless person belonging to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe; or(c)a village artisan; or(d)a landless person carrying on an allied agricultural pursuit; or(dd)[ a person who, on commencement of this Act, worked and continues to work for gain in a estate situated in Himachal Pradesh; for the construction of a dwelling house, shop or commercial establishment in a municipal area, subject to the condition that the land to be transferred does not exceed - [Clause (dd) inserted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.](i)in case of a dwelling house-500 square meters; and(ii)in the case of a shop or commercial establishment-300 square meters:Provided that such person does not own any vacant land or a dwelling house in a municipal area in the State.] [Explanation substituted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.](e)the State Government or Central Government, or a Government Company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956, [or a Company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 for which land is acquired through the State Government under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894] [These words inserted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.] or a statutory body or a corporation or a board established by or under a statute and owned and controlled by the State of Central Government; or(f)[ a person who has become non-agriculturist on account of - [Clause (f) substituted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.](i)acquisition of his land for any public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894; or(ii)vestment of his land in the tenants under this Act; or](g)a non-agriculturist who purchases or intends to purchase land for the construction of a house or shop, or purchases a built up house or shop, from the [Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority, established under the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Act, 2004, or from the Development Authority constituted under the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977 or from any other statutory Corporation set-up for framing and execution of house accommodation schemes in the States under any State or Central enactment] [These words substituted for the words, signs and figures 'Himachal Pradesh State Housing Board established under the Himachal Pradesh Housing Board Act, 1972' by section 2 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 10 of 2007.]; or(h)a non-agriculturist with the permission of the State Government for the purposes that may be prescribed :Provided that a person who is non-agriculturist but purchase land either under [clause (dd) or clause (g)] [Substituted for words, brackets and alphabet 'clause (g) by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.] or with the permission granted under clause (h) of this sub-section shall, irrespective of such purchase of land, continue to be a non-agriculturist for the purpose of the Act :Provided further that a non-agriculturist [who purchases land under clause (dd) or] [Inserted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.] in whose case permission to purchase land is granted under clause (h) of this sub-section, shall put the land to such use for which the permission has been granted within a period of two years or a further such period not exceeding one year, as may be allowed by the State Government for the reasons to be recorded in writing, to be counted from the day on which the sale deed of land is registered and if he fails to do so or diverts, without the permission of the State Government, the said user for any other purpose or transfer by way sale, gift or otherwise, the land so purchased by him shall, in the prescribed manner, vest in the State Government free from all encumbrances.(3)No Registrar or the Sub-Registrar appointed under the Indian Registration Act, 1908 shall register any document pertaining to a transfer of land, which is in contravention to sub-section (1): [xxxxx] [The words 'and such transfer shall be void ab initio and the land involved in such transfer, if made in contravention of sub-section (1), shall together with structures, buildings or other attachments, if any, vest in the Stale Government free from all encumbrances' omitted by section 2 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 6 of 1995.]Provided that the Registrar or the Sub-Registrar may register any transfer -(i)where the lease is made in relation to a part or whole of a building; or(ii)where the mortgage is made for procuring the loans for construction or improvements over the land either from the Government or from any other financial institution constituted or established under any law for the time being in force or recognized by the State Government.(3A)[ Where -(a)the Registrar or the Sub-Registrar, appointed under the Indian Registration Act, 1908, before whom any document pertaining to transfer of land is presented for registration, comes to know or has reason to believe that the transfer of land is in contravention of sub-section (1); or(b)a Revenue Officer either on an application made to him or on receipt of any information from any source, comes to know or has reason to believe that any land has been transferred or is being transferred in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1);such Sub-Registrar, the Registrar or the Revenue Officer, as the case may be, shall make reference to the Collector of the District, in which land or any part thereof is situate, and the Collector, on receipt of such reference, or where the Revenue Officer happens to be the Collector of the District himself, he either on an application made to him or on receipt of any information from any source, comes to know or has reason to believe that any land has been transferred or is being transferred in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), shall after affording to the persons who are parties to the transfer, a reasonable opportunity of being heard and holding an enquiry, determine whether the transfer of land is or is not in contravention of sub-section (1) and he shall, within [six months] [Sub-sections (3A), (3B), (3C) and (3D) inserted by section 2 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 6 of 1995.] from the date of receipt of reference made to him or such longer period as the Divisional Commissioner may allow for reasons to be recorded in writing, record his decision thereon and intimate the findings to the Registrar, Sub-Registrar or the Revenue Officer concerned.(3B)The person aggrieved by the findings recorded by the Collector, that a particular transfer of land is in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), may, within 30 days from the date on which the order recording such findings is made by the Collector or such longer period as the Divisional Commissioner may allow for reasons to be recorded in writing, file an appeal to the Divisional Commissioner, to whom such Collector is subordinate, and the Divisional Commissioner may, after giving the parties an opportunity of being heard and, if necessary, after sending for the records of the case from the Collector [***] [The words 'and after making such enquiry as he thinks fit either personally or through an officer working under him' omitted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.] reverse, alter or confirm the order made by the Collector [and the order made by the Divisional Commissioner shall be final and conclusive] [Inserted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.].(3C)[ (a) The Financial Commissioner may, either on a report of a Revenue Officer or on an application or of his own motion, call for the record of any proceedings which are pending before, or have been disposed of by, any Revenue Officer subordinate to him and in which no appeal lies thereto, for the purpose of satisfying himself as to the legality or propriety of such proceedings or order made therein and may pass such order in relation thereto as he may think fit.(b)No order shall be passed under this sub-section which adversely affect any person unless such person has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.](3D)Where the Collector of the District under sub-section (3A), in case an appeal is not made within the prescribed period, or the Divisional Commissioner in appeal under sub-section (3B), or the Financial Commissioner in [revision] [Substituted for the word 'appeal' by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.] under sub-section (3C), decides that the transfer of land is in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), such transfer shall be void ab initio and the land involved in such transfer together with structures, buildings or other attachments, if any, shall in the prescribed manner, vest in the State Government free from all encumbrances; and] [Sub-section (3C) substituted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.](4)It shall be lawful for the State Government to make use of the land which is vested or may be vested in it under sub-section (2) or sub-section [(3D)] [Substituted for the brackets and figure '(3)' by section 2 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 6 of 1995.] for such purposes as it may deem fit to do so.[Explanation I. - For the purpose of this section, the expression "land" shall include -(i)land recorded as "Gair-mumkin", "Gair-mumkin Makan" or any other Gair-mumkin land, by whatever name called in the revenue records; and](ii)land which is a site of a building in a town or a village and is occupied or let out not for agricultural purposes or purposes subservient to agriculture [but shall not include a built-up area in the municipal area;] [These words inserted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.][Explanation II. - For the purpose of this section the expression "municipal area" means the territorial area of a Nagar Panchayat, Cantonment Board, Municipal Council or a Municipal Corporation constituted under any law for the time being in force.] [Explanation II inserted by section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 1997.]
