Section 7 in Kanyakumari Sreepadam Lands (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Rules, 1973
7. Enquiry into claims for grant of ryotwari patta under section 9 or 10.
(1)Every application for the grant of ryotwari patta in respect of a Sreepadam land under section 9 or 10 shall be in Form No. 5, and shall be either presented in person or sent by registered post to the Assistant Settlement Officer, within three months from the date of publication of these rules in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette.(2)Every such application shall be signed and verified by the applicant and restricted to Sreepadam lands in a single village.(3)If, in respect of any Sreepadam land, no person has applied under sub-rule (1), the Assistant Settlement Officer shall proceed to enquire into the nature and history of the land suo motu and determine if any person is prima facie entitled to ryotwari patta in respect of that land.(4)The Assistant Settlement Officer shall fix a date for the enquiry and issue a notice in Form No. 6 to the person, who has applied for ryotwari patta or who, in the opinion of the Assistant Settlement Officer, is prima facie entitled to ryotwari patta, to produce any record or make any representation, which he may wish to make at the enquiry. A copy of the notice shall also be sent to the fahsildar.(5)The Assistant Settlement Officer shall also publish a notice in Form No. 7 requiring any person, who has any objection to any of the proposals to grant ryotwari patta, to file before him a statement of objections, within a week from the date of the notice and also requesting all interested persons to be present at the enquiry either in person or through an authorised representative and make their representations. A copy of the notice shall be affixed on the notice board of the office of the Assistant Settlement Officer.(6)The date of enquiry shall not be earlier than fifteen days from the date of publication of the notice referred to in sub-rule (5).(7)The enquiry shall be summary. The Assistant Settlement Officer hear the parties and afford them a reasonable opportunity for adducing any oral or documentary evidence, before giving his decision.(8)The decision of the Assistant Settlement Officer shall be published in Form No. 8. A copy of the decision shall be given to the party concerned in person or sent to him by registered post. A copy of the decision shall also be sent to the Tahsildar.
