73. Abandonment of land by Raiyat - (1) If a Raiyat voluntarily abandons the land held or cultivated by him, without notice to the landlord and ceases either himself or through any other person to cultivate the land and to pay his rent as it falls due, the landlord may at any time after the expiration of the agricultural year in which the Raiyat so abandons and ceases to cultivate, enter on the holding and let it to another tenant or take into cultivation himself.
(2)Before a landlord enters under this Section, he shall send a notice to the Deputy Commissioner in the prescribed manner, stating that he has treated the holding as abandoned and is about to enter on it accordingly; and the Deputy Commissioner shall cause a notice of the fact to be published in the prescribed manner 1[and if an objection is preferred to him within one month of the date of publication of the notice shall make a summary inquiry and shall decide whether the landlord is entitled under sub-section (1) to enter on the holding. The landlord shall not enter on the holding unless and until such objection has been decided in his favour, or if no objection is preferred, until the expiration of one month from the date of publication of the notice.(3)When a landlord enters under this Section, the Raiyat shall be entitled to apply to the Deputy Commissioner for the recovery of possession of the land at any time not later than the expiration of three years in the case of an occupancy-Raiyat or in the case of a non-occupancy Raiyat one year, from the date of the publication of the notice; and thereupon, the Deputy Commissioner may on being satisfied that the Raiyat did not voluntarily abandon his holding, restore him to possession in the prescribed manner on such terms (if any) with respect to compensation to person injured and payment of arrears of rent as to the Deputy Commissioner may seem just.Continuance of occupation
