Section 50 in Santhal Parganas Tenancy (Supplementary Provisions) Act, 1949
50. Reduction of rent for special reasons.
(1)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law or anything having the force of law in the Santal Parganas, the Deputy Commissioner may, if specially authorized by the [State] [Substituted by para 4 (1) of the ALO for 'Provincial'] Government in that behalf, reduce by order in writing the rent of holdings of recorded raiyats in any area or village or of any class of land belonging to such raiyats, which has been settled by the Settlement Officer under the provisions of the Santal Parganas Settlement Regulation or which is entered in the rent-roll, as the case may be, on any one or more of the following grounds,-(a)that the soil of a portion or the whole of such holdings of area has without the faults of the raiyats become permanently deteriorated by a deposit of sand by sub-version under water or by any other specific ground, sudden or gradual;(b)that the landlord of such holdings or area has failed in spite of due notice to carry out within a period of six months from the date of service of notice the arrangements in respect of irrigation which he is bound to maintain;(c)that there has been a fall not due to temporary cause in the average local Prices of staple food crops during the currency of the present rent.Explanation. - (1) The expression "permanently deteriorated "in clause (a) means deteriorated for a period of seven years or more, such period being determined by the Deputy Commissioner.(2)in the case referred to in clause (a) the reduced rent shall bear top the previous rent the same proportion as the current prices bear to the prices prevailing at the time when the previous rent first became payable.(2)No proceeding under sub-section (1) shall be initiated on applications made by raiyat individually; but the initiative may be taken by the Deputy Commissioner himself if he is satisfied after due enquiry and after hearing all interested persons that there are sufficient grounds for such action.(3)No proceedings under sub-section (1) shall be initiated until after the expiry of a period of seven years from the date on which the rent settled under the Santal Parganas Settlement Regulation, or the rent specified in a rent-roll published under the Santhal Parganas Rent Regulation, 1886, took effect.(4)An order of the Deputy Commissioner under this section shall take effect from such date as may be specified in that order.(5)The powers conferred on the Deputy Commissioner under this section shall be exercised in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
