CHAPTER XIV
59PROVISIONS AS TO ASSESSMENT, ENHANCEMENT AND REDUCTION OF RENT
Revision of rents or raiyats and non-agricultural tenants98. The rent of a raiyat or non-agricultural tenant shall not be enhanced, reduced or altered except as provided in this Chapter.
Assessment or re-assessment of rent in certain cases60[98A. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in this Act, it shall be lawful for the Deputy Commissioner to assess or re-assess rent on land in the following cases, namely:-
(a) where any land held by a raiyat or non-agricultural tenant has not been assessed to any rent under Chapter IV or section 144, nor has any rent been settled in respect of such land under section 107; or
(b) where any land assessed to rent as agricultural land under any of the provisions mentioned in clause (a), is subsequently used for a non-agricultural purpose or vice versa.
(2) In assessing or re-assessing any rent under sub-section (1), the Deputy Commissioner shall have regard to the principles laid down in section 26:
Provided that the Deputy Commissioner shall not take action under this section in any area where preparation or revision of record-of-rights has been undertaken under section 144:
Provided further that no assessment or re-assessment of rent shall be made under this section unless not less than fifteen days’ notice has been given to the raiyat or tenant concerned to appear and be heard in the matter.
(3) Where only a part of a holding is used for a non-agricultural purpose, such portion shall be constituted into a separate tenancy on the principles laid down in sub-section (3) of section 107 as far as applicable and assessment or re-assessment of rent thereof made under this section]
Order for determination of rent-rates and preparation of settlement rent-roll99. (1) The Government may make an order directing the Revenue-officer-
(a) to determine the rent-rates for any district or part of a district or local area in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter and of such rules as may be made in this behalf by the Government and to prepare in the prescribed form and manner a table of rent-rates in which the rent-rates so determined, together with such other particulars as may be prescribed, shall be specified; and
(b) after the table of rent-rates in respect of any district, part of a district or local areas has been prepared and confirmed under this Chapter to, settle fair and equitable rents for all tenants in such district or part or area and to prepare in the prescribed form and manner a settlement rent-roll in which the rent so settled, together with such other particulars as may be prescribed, shall be specified.
(2) A notification in the official Gazette of an order under this section shall be conclusive evidence that the order has been duly made.
Procedure in determining rent-rates100. (1) When an order is made under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 99, the Revenue-officer shall, for the purpose of determining the rent-rates for the area specified in such order, divide such area into as many suitable units of area as he considers necessary having regard to the conditions of the land and, if such area be agricultural area, the crops grown in such area, and the Revenue-officer shall then determine the rent-rates for different classes of lands in each such unit.
(2) In determining the rent-rates for different classes of agricultural land under sub-section (1), the Revenue-officer shall take into consideration-
(a) the nature of the soil and the general productivity of the class of land for which the rent-rate is being determined;
(b) the normal yield per acre of the land to be determined in the prescribed manner;
(c) the average prices of the crops grown on such land calculated on the basis of the average prices of such crops prevailing during the preceding twenty years excluding the years in which such prices were abnormal;
(d) any means of irrigation or drainage or any other special facilities for cultivation of such land;
(e) the result of any work of agricultural improvement effected within any particular unit at the expense of Government.
(3) The rate of rent per acre for any class of agricultural land determined under sub-section (1) shall not exceed one- tenth of the total value of the produce per acre of such land obtained by multiplying the normal yield per acre of such land, determined in the manner prescribed, by the average price of crops grown in such land referred to in clause (c) of sub-section (2).
(4) In determining the rate of rent for different classes of non-agricultural land under sub-section (1), the Revenue-officer shall take into consideration-
(a) the rent generally paid to the Government for non-agricultural land with similar advantages or of a similar description in the vicinity,
(b) the market value of the land or of similar land in the vicinity immediately before the publication of the notification under section 99, to be determined in the prescribed manner,
(c) special conditions and incidents, if any, of the tenancy, and
(d) the result of any work of improvement effected within any particular unit at the expense of Government:
Provided that the rate of rent per acre for any class of non-agricultural land determined under sub-section (1) shall not exceed one-fourth per centum of such market value in the case of a residential area and half per centum of such market value in the case of any other area.
(5) The rent generally paid for similar land in the vicinity, as referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (4), shall be calculated by adding up the existing rents of such land in the unit and dividing the sum total by the total area of such unit.
Explanation.- For the purpose of this section, “land” does not include any building or structure standing thereon.
Preliminary and final publication of table of rent-rates and its confirmation by the prescribed superior Revenue Authority101. (1) When the Revenue-officer has prepared a table of rent-rates, he shall cause a draft of it to be published in the prescribed manner and for the prescribed period in the area or village to which it relates.
(2) Any person objecting to any entry in the table of rent-rates may present a petition to the Revenue-officer within thirty days from the first date of publication under sub-section (1), and the Revenue-officer shall consider any such objection and may alter or amend the table.
(3) If no objection is made within the said period or, where objections are made, after they have been disposed of, the Revenue-officer shall submit his proceedings to the prescribed Revenue Authority with a full statement of the grounds for his proposals together with all the necessary particulars and the existing rent-rates for each class of land and a summary of the objections (if any) which he has received.
(4) Such superior Revenue Authority may confirm a table submitted under sub-section (3), with or without modification, or may return it for revision.
(5) When a table of rent-rates has been confirmed by such superior Revenue Authority, the order confirming it shall be conclusive evidence that the proceedings for the preparation of the table have been duly conducted in accordance with this Act, and it may be presumed that the rates shown in the table for each class of land are fair and equitable rates payable for land of that class within the area to which the table applies.
Rate shown in the table to be the maximum rate102. The rate of rent for any class of land shown in a table of rent-rates confirmed under section 101 shall be the maximum rate at which the rent of a raiyat or non-agricultural tenant for such class of land can be settled.
Particulars to form parts of record-of-rights103. The particulars referred to in sub-sections (2) and (4) of section 100 in respect of a unit and the rates of rent determined for different classes of land within such unit under this chapter shall form part of the record-of-rights of such unit maintained under this Part.
Duration of rent-rates104. When the rent-rates for any district, part of a district or unit of area have been determined under this Chapter and shown in a table of rent-rates confirmed under section 101, they shall not be changed until after a period of twenty years has elapsed from the date of such confirmation.
Grounds of and limits to enhancement of rent105. (1) The rent payable by a raiyat or non-agricultural tenant in respect of any land shall be liable to enhancement on the ground that the rent payable by him is substantially lower than the rent calculated at the rates of rent determined under this Chapter for similar classes of land in the unit in which the land is situated and entered in the table of rent rates, confirmed under section 101, applicable to such unit.
(2) In all cases where the increase of rent exceeds fifty per centum of the rent payable during the immediately preceding year, the Revenue-officer shall, and in any other cases were he considers that an immediate increase of rent will cause hardship, he may direct that the enhancement shall take effect by yearly increments over a number of years as he may fix in this behalf:
Provided that the increase of rent in a particular year shall not exceed fifty per centum of the rent payable during the year immediately preceding the year from which the new assessment takes effect under section 113.
Grounds for reduction of rent106. The rent payable by a raiyat in respect of a holding may be reduced on one or more of the following grounds, namely:-
(a) that the rent payable by the raiyat is substantially higher than the rent calculated at the rates of rent determined under this Chapter for similar classes of land in the unit in which the land comprised in the holding is situated and entered in the table of rent-rates, confirmed under section 101, applicable to such unit;
(b) that the soil of the holding has deteriorated as a result of the deposit of sand or through the operation of other natural causes, sudden or gradual; and
(c) that there has been any breakdown of the existing arrangements for irrigation or drainage or for the maintenance of any embankments or bunds which were in existence at the time when the rent was last settled, and the soil of the holding has thereby deteriorated.
Grounds for reduction of rent61[106A. The rent payable by a non-agricultural tenant in respect of any tenancy may be reduced on the ground that the rent payable by him is substantially higher than the rent calculated at the rates of rent determined under this Chapter for similar classes of land in the unit in which the land comprised in the tenancy is situated and entered in the table of rent-rates, confirmed under section 101, application to such unit.]
Settlement of fair and equitable rents107. (1) After a table of rent-rates has been prepared and confirmed under this Chapter, the Revenue-officer shall proceed to settle, according to the provisions of the preceding sections, the fair and equitable rents of all tenants in the area to which the table of rent-rates applies and to prepare the settlement rent-roll as directed under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 99.
(2) For the purpose of settling such fair and equitable rents and preparing the settlement rent-roll, the Revenue-officer shall be guided by the rent-rates entered in the table of rent-rates so prepared and confirmed:
Provided that a Revenue-officer shall not be bound to apply the said rates to any particular case or area if he considers, for reasons to be recorded in writing, that the application of such rates to such case or area would be unfair or inequitable.
(3) Where any non-agricultural land is comprised in a tenancy which includes land other than non-agricultural land, or when the classification of land has partly changed from agricultural to non-agricultural, the Revenue-officer shall,-
(i) divide the tenancy so as to constitute separate tenancies for the non-agricultural land and the agricultural land,
(ii) apportion the existing rent between the tenancies so constituted,
(iii) estimate fair and equitable rents for the agricultural and non-agricultural land in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, and
(iv) make such consequential changes in the record-of-rights as may be necessary.
Preliminary publication and amendment of settlement rent-roll108. (1) When a settlement rent-roll has been prepared, the Revenue-officer shall cause a draft of it to be published in the prescribed manner and for the prescribed period and shall receive and consider any objection made to an entry therein or omission therefrom during the period of publication and shall dispose of such objections according to such rules as the Government may make.
(2) The Revenue-officer may, of his own motion or on application of any party aggrieved, at any time before a settlement rent-roll is submitted to the confirming authority under section 109, revise any rent entered therein:
Provided that no such entries shall be revised until reasonable notice has been given to the tenant concerned to appear and be heard in the matter.
Sanctioning final public of the settlement rent-roll and in corporation of the same in the record-of-rights109. (1) When all objections have been disposed of under section 108, the Revenue-officer shall submit the settlement rent-roll to the prescribed confirming authority with a full statement of the grounds for his proposals and a summary of the objections (if any) which he has received.
(2) The confirming authority may sanction the settlement rent-roll with or without amendment or may return it for revision:
Provided that no entry shall be amended or omission supplied until reasonable notice has been given to the tenant concerned to appear and be heard in the matter.
(3) After sanction by the confirming authority the Revenue-office shall finally frame the settlement rent-roll and publish it in such manner as may be prescribed and shall incorporate it in the record-of-rights for the area, to which such settlement rent-roll relates, maintained under this Part; and such publication shall be conclusive evidence that the settlement rent-roll has been duly made under this Chapter.
Appeal to and revision by superior Revenue Authority110. (1) An appeal, if presented within two months from the date of the order appealed against, shall lie from every order passed by a Revenue-officer on any objection made under section 108, or from an order passed by the confirming authority under section 109 to the prescribed superior Revenue Authority.
(2) The 62[Board of Land Administration] may in any case under this Chapter, on application or of its own motion, direct the revision of any settlement rent-roll or any portion of it at any time within six months of the date of the order sanctioning the settlement rent-roll under sub-section (2) of section 109 or any order passed by the superior Revenue Authority under sub-section (1), whichever is later, but not so as to affect any order passed by the Special Judge under section 111:
Provided that no such direction shall be made until reasonable notice has been given to the parties concerned to appear and be heard in the matter.
Appeal to the Special Judge111. (1) Any person aggrieved by an order passed by the Revenue-officer on any objection made under section 108 or an order passed by the confirming authority under section 109, may present an appeal in the prescribed manner against such order, within three months of the final publication under sub-section (3) of section 109 of the settlement rent-roll to which such appeal relates, to the Special Judge appointed by the Government in this behalf provided that no appeal has been presented regarding the matter to the prescribed superior Revenue Authority under sub-section (1) of section 110.
(2) Subject to such orders as may be passed by the High Court in its revisional jurisdiction, the order of the Special Judge, on the Appeal, shall be final; and no appeal shall lie to the High Court against the order of the Special Judge under this section.
(3) The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, shall, so far as it may be, apply to all appeals presented to the special Judge under this section.
Correction of Mistakes and making alteration in rent-roll63[111A. The Revenue-officer, may, at any time before final publication under sub-section (3) of section 109, correct any clerical mistake in the settlement rent-roll, and shall make such alteration in the same as may be necessary to give effect to any order passed under sections 110 and 111.]
Presumption to rents settled under this Chapter112. All rents settled under this Chapter shall be deemed to have been correctly settled and to be fair and equitable rents.
Date from which settlement takes effect113. When a rent is settled by a Revenue-officer under this Chapter in respect of any area, it shall, subject to sections 110 and 111, take effect from the beginning of the agricultural year next after the date of the final publication under sub-section (3) of section 109 of the settlement rent-roll in which such rent is specified.
Period for which rent as settled is to remain unaltered114. When the rent of a tenant has been settled under this Chapter, it shall not be enhanced for a period of twenty years; and no such rent shall be reduced within the said period save on the ground specified in clause (b) or clause (c) of section 106.
Bar to jurisdiction of Civil Court115. No suit or other legal proceeding shall be instituted in any Civil Court in respect of the determination of rent-rates or the settlement of any rent or the omission to determine any rent-rate or to settle any rent under this Chapter, except as provided in section 111.