Section 5(1) in Tamil Nadu Land Reforms (Disposal of Surplus Land) Rules, 1965
(1)The following persons and societies shall be eligible for assignment of surplus land and shall be entitled to preference, in the order given below:-(i)[ A person who has been cultivating the land as on the date of the commencement of the Act and who is completely dispossessed of the land, which is declared surplus as a result of the provisions of the Act:]Provided that the person should not have surrendered the lands subsequent to the date of the commencement of the Act;(ii)[***] [Omitted by G.O. Ms. No. 1358, dated the 21st June 1979](iii)A person whose extent of holding is reduced below [three acres] [The words 'three acres wet land' substituted by G.O. Ms. No. 715, dated the 24th March 1980.] of dry land or one and a half acres of wet land held by him partly as cultivating tenant and partly as owner or wholly as cultivating tenant by virtue of the provisions of the Act;(iv)A landless agricultural labourer belonging to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe who contributes his own physical labour or that of any member of his family in the cultivation of the land;(v)[ A person who is, or who has been, a member of the Armed Forces including, the persons who had served in the Indian National Army or the Ex-Assam Rifles Personnel or any para-military force and members of Armed Forces, who retired or were disbanded before the 26th January 1950, and dependents of the persons of the above mentioned categories, killed in action, namely, wife, widowed mother, minor sons and minor daughters. The servicemen not killed in action, but disabled and alive, can get surplus lands in their own names;] [Substituted by GO. Ms. No. 1358A dated the 21st June 1979.][(V-A) A repatriate from Burma or Sri Lanka who is likely to contribute his own physical labour or that of any member of his family in the cultivation of the land and who has brought to India assets not exceeding Rs. 10,000 (Rupees ten thousand only) in value;] [Inserted by G.O. Ms. No. 1358, dated the 21st June 1979.](vi)A landless agricultural labourer other than the landless agricultural labourer referred in clause (iv) who contributes his own physical labour or that of any member of his family in the cultivation of the land;(vii)A cultivating tenant who is holding land which is less than [three acres of dry land or one and a half acres of wet land in extent;] [The words 'three acres wet land' substituted by G.O. Ms. No. 715, dated the 24th March 1980.](viii)[Omitted by G.O. Ms. No. 1358, dated the 21st June 1979].(ix)A co-operative farming society, the members of which are , landless agricultural labourers, provided that the extent of land assigned to the society together with the land, if any, already held by the society does not exceed the ceiling area.
