THE LAND REVENUE ACT

 

(XVII OF 1967)

 

[7th December, 1967]

 

An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to Land Revenue in the Province of West Pakistan

 

Word 'Punjab' substituted for `West Pakistan' by the Punjab Laws Adaptation Order, 1 of 1974, P.O.S. 90(1).

 

CHAPTER I

 

Preliminary

 

 

4. Definitions. In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,‑‑

 

(1) "agricultural year" means the year commencing on the first day of July, or on such other date as the Board of Revenue, with the previous approval of Government, may by notification, appoint for any specified area;

 

(2) "arrears of Land Revenue" means land‑revenue which remains unpaid after the date on which it becomes payable;

 

(3) "assessment circle" means a group of estates which, in the opinion of the Board of Revenue, to be recorded in an order in writing, are sufficiently homogeneous to admit of a common set of rates being used as a general guide in calculating the Land Revenue to be assessed upon them;

 

Sindh. For the word `a group of estate' the words a den or group of delis subs. by the Land Revenue (Sindh Amendment) Act, IX of 1972.

 

(4) "board of Revenue" means the Board of Revenue established under the West Pakistan Board of Revenue Act, 1957 (West Pakistan Act XI of 1957);

 

Punjab. In clause (4), the words "West Pakistan Board of Revenue Act, shall be substituted by the words "Punjab Board of Revenue Act".

 

P.O. No. 1 of 1974, Sch. Para 3.

 

Sindh. In sub‑section (1) of "West Pakistan" substituted "Sindh".

 

In sub‑section (2) of West Pakistan except the Tribal Areas substituted "Sindh".                                                                        Sindh Adaptation of Laws Order, 1975 S. 2 & Sch.

 

(5) "boundary mark" means any erection, whether of earth, stone, or other material, any hedge, unploughed ridge, or strip of ground, or other object or mark, whether natural or artificial, set up, employed or specified by a Revenue Officer having authority in that behalf in order to designate the boundary of any division of land;

 

(6) "Commencement" shall mean the day on which this Act or any provision thereof, as the case may be, comes into operation;

 

(7) "defaulter" means a person liable for an arrear of land‑revenue,, and includes a person who is responsible as surety for payment of the arrear;

 

(8) "encumbrance" means a charge upon or claim against land arising out of private grant or contact;

 

(9) "estate" means any area‑‑

 

(i) for which a separate record of right has been made; or

 

(ii) which has been separately assessed to Land Revenue; or

 

(iii) which the Board of Revenue may, by general rule or special order, declare to be an estate.

 

Sindh. The word `deh' shall be substituted for the word "estate".

 

(10) "holding" means a share of portion of an estate held by one land owner or jointly by two or more land‑owners;

 

Punjab. After clause (10) the following new clause shall be inserted, namely:‑‑

 

(10‑A) "irrigated land" means land irrigated by a canal, tube‑well, well, lift, spring, tank or by any other artificial means of irrigation".

 

Sub‑sec. (10‑A) ins. by Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Act, V of 1976.

 

Punjab Act, III of 1976, S. 2.

 

Sindh. After clause (10) the following new clause shall be inserted, namely:‑

 

(10‑A) "Irrigated Land" means land irrigated by a canal tube‑well, well spring or by any other artificial means of irrigation".

 

Clause (10‑A) added by Sindh Land Revenue (Amendment) Act, V of 1976.

 

Sindh Act III of 1976, S. 2.

 

Baluchistan. After clause (10) the following new clause shall be inserted namely:‑‑

 

"(10‑A) "Irrigated Land" means land irrigated by a canal tube‑well, well jhalar, karaz, spring or by any other artificial means of irrigation";

Baluehistan Order, VI of 1977, S. 2.

 

N.‑W.F.P. Same as for Baluchistan.

 

N.‑W.F.P. Act 1 of 1976, S. 2.

 

(11) "Kanungo" shall be deemed to include a supervising Tapedar;

 

(12) "landlord" mans a person under whom a tenant holds land, and to whom the tenant is, or, but for a special contract, would be liable to pay rent for that land, and shall include a lessee of such person, and the predecessors and successors in interest of such person;

 

(13) "land‑owner" includes a person to whom a holding has been transferred, or Rn estate or holding has been let in farm, under this Act, for the recovery of an arrear of Land Revenue of a sum recoverable as such an arrear, and any other person who is in possession of an estate or any share or portion thereof, or in the enjoyment of any part of the profits of an estate, but does not include a tenant;

 

(14) "Land Revenue" means Land Revenue assessed or assessable under this Act, or under any other law for the time being in force relating to Land Revenue, and includes any rates imposed on account of increase in the value of land due to irrigation;

 

(15) "legal practitioner" means any legal practitioner within the meaning of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879 (Act XVIII of 1879), except a Mukhtar;

 

(16) "net assets" of an estate or group of estates means the estimated average annual surplus produce of such estate or group of estates remaining after deduction of the ordinary expenses of cultivation as ascertained or estimated.

 

Clause (16) omitted by the Land Revenue Sindh (Amendment) Act, IX of 1972.

 

Explanation: Ordinary expenses of cultivation include payments, if any, which the land‑owner customary bears, whether in kind or in cash, and whether in whole or in part in respect of‑‑

 

(a) water rates,

(b) maintenance of means of irrigation,

(c) maintenance of embankments,

(d) supply of seed,

(e) supply of manure,

(f) improved implements of husbandry,

(g) concession with regard to fodder,

(h) special abatements made for fallow or bad harvest,

(i) cost of collection of rent,

(j) allowance for shortage in collection of rent,

(k) interest charges payable in respect of advances made in cash, free of interest, to tenants for the purpose of cultivation,

(l) wages or customary dues paid to village auxiliaries whose products or labour are utilized for the purposes of cultivation and harvesting;

 

and the share that would be retainable by a tenant if the land were let to a tenant paying rent, whether in cash or in kind, at the normal rate actually prevalent in the estate or group of estates;

 

(17) "Patwari" shall be deemed to include a Tapedar and Special or Additional Tapedar;

 

(18) "pay" with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes, when used with reference to rent, "deliver" and "render", with their grammatical variation and cognate expressions;

 

(19) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

 

Sindh: After clause (19) the following shall be added as clause (19‑A):‑‑

 

(19‑A) `produce index unit' means the measure in terms of which the comparative productively of a particular land in a particular assessment circle or area is computed and expressed for the purpose of the scheme relating to the resettlement of displaced persons on land and in respect of, the assessment circle and areas where no such unit exists, such measure as may be determined by the Board of Revenue.

Sindh Act IX of 1972, S. 3.

 

(20) "rates and cesses" means and cesses which are primarily payable by land‑owners, and include‑‑

 

(a) the local rate, if any, payable under any for the time being in force, and any fee similarly leviable from land‑owners for the use of, or benefits derived from, embankments and works for supply or storage of water for agricultural purposes and for the preservation and reclamation of soil and drainage and reclamation of swamps;

 

(b) any annual rate chargeable on owners of land under any law for the time being in force for the benefits derived from drainage works carried on for the public health, or for the improvement of land or for the proper cultivation or irrigation thereof, or for the protection from floods or other accumulation of water, or from erosion by a river;

 

(c) village officers' cess; and

 

(d) any sum payable or account of village expenses.

 

(21) "rent" means whatever is payable to a landlord in money or kind by a tenant on account of the use or occupation of land held by him, but shall not include any cess, or other contribution or due or any free personal service;

 

(22) "Revenue Court" means a Court constituted as such under the law relating to tenancy as in force for the time being;

 

(23) "Revenue Officer" means a Revenue Officer having authority under this Act to discharge the functions of a Revenue Officer:

 

(24) "Survey mark" means any mark set by the Department of Survey of Pakistan;        

 

(25) "Survey number" or "khasra number" means a portion of land of which the area is separately entered under an indicative number in the record of rights;

 

(26) "tenant" means a person who holds land under another person, and is, or, but for a special contract, would be liable to pay rent for the land to that other person, and includes the predecessors and successors in interest of such person, but does not include‑‑

 

(a) a mortgagee of the right of a land owner; or

 

(b) a person to whom a holding has been transferred, or an estate or holding has been let in farm, under the provisions of this Act, for the recovery of an arrear of Land Revenue or of a sum recoverable as such an arrear; or

 

(c) a person who takes from Government a lessee of unoccupied land for the purpose of sub‑letting it;

 

(27) "tenancy" means a parcel of land held by a tenant under one lease or one set of conditions;

 

[(27‑A) "unirrigated land" means land other than irrigated land and includes land fed by rains, floods, hill torrents, and uncultivable or waste land.

 

N.‑W.F.P. Same as Baluchistan.                       Bal. Ord. VI of 1977. S. 2.

Punjab. Same as Baluchistan.                N.‑W.F.P. Act 1 of 1976, S. 2.

Sindh. Same as Baluchistan.                              Punjab Act 5 of 1976, S. 2.

 

(27‑A) "Unirrigated land" means land other than irrigated land.

 

Sindh Act III of 1976, S. 2.

 

(28) "Village Officer" means any person appointed under this Act whose duty it is to collect, or to supervise the collection of, the revenue of an estate, and includes Kanungos, Patwaris, Zabits, Kotars, or Topedars, Peons, Arbabs, Rais and Headmen (Lambardars).