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The Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887

Punjab · state statute
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Punjab Law 6gency 
THE 	 v/ ,‘,2c. 
PUNJAB TENAN CY 
ACT, 1887 , 
(Act No. 16 of 1887) 	 gra-07T 
c  
As 	 aaint 	 /D4  
Application to Punjab & Haryana 
ALOW-GWITif 
THE PUNJAB TENANCY RULES, 1909 
THE PUNJAB PETITION WRITERS (REVENUE) RULES, 1982 
THE PUNJAB OCCUPANCY TENANTS (VESTING OF PROPRI-
ETARY RIGHTS) ACT, 1952 
LATEST CASE LAW 2.00 
NOTIFICATIONS 
PUNJAB LAW AGENCY 
© Copy Rights Reserved With Publishers 
Important Note 
Although meticulous care and cautions have been 
taken to avoid any mistakes or omissions while edit-
ing, printing or publishing the book. Readers are ad-
vised to verify the text with original gazette as published by concerned authority. 
Neither the company nor is the proprietor, Editor, 
Printer or Publisher be held responsible or liable in any 
case manner for loss or damage caused to its subscrib-
ers/Readers. Due to mistakes our omissions that might 
have crept in despite care and caution. 
No part of this book can reproduced in any form without 
prior written permission of the publisher. Violation of 
this, would follow serious legal action. The sale and cir- 
culation of the journal is subject to the aforesaid terms and conditions. 
Printed, Published & Owned by : 
Sharanjit Singh Kalra 
Punjab Law Agency S.C.O. 4 and 5 (First Floor) 
Above S.B.I. Treasury Branch 
Behind K.C. Cinema, Sector 17-B, 
Chandigarh. 160017 
Phone : 0172-5071706, Mobile 9815652222 
THE 
PUNJAB TENANCY 
ACT, 1887 (Act No. 16 of 1887) 
CONTENTS 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
Sections Page 
CHAPTER - I : PRELIMINARY 
Nos. 
2 
2 
2 
2 
Short Title, extent and commencement 
Power to make rules in anticipation of commencement 
Repeal 
Definitions 
CHAPTER - II : RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY 
5. Tenants having right of occupancy 8 
6. Right of occupancy of other tenants recorded as having the 
right before passing of Punjab Tenancy Act, 1868 9 
7. Right of occupancy in land taken in exchange 10 
8. Establishment of right of occupancy on grounds other than 
those expressly stated in Act 10 
9. Right of occupancy not to be acquired by mere lapse of time. 10 
10. Right of occupancy not to be acquired by joint owner in land 
held in joint ownership. 10 
11. Continuance of existing occupancy-rights 10 
CHAPTER - Ill : RENT:- RENTS GENERALLY 
12. Respective rights of landlord and tenant to produce 11 
13. Commutation and alteration of rent 11 
14. Payments for land occupied without consent of landlord 12 
15. Collection of rents of undivided properly 13 
PRODUCE RENTS • 
16. Presumption with respect to produce rents removed before 
division or appraisement 13 
	
IV 	 CONTENTS 
17. Appointment of referee for division or appraisements 	 13 
18. Appointment of assessors and procedure of referee 	 13 
19. Procedure after division or appraisement. 	 14 
20. Enhancement of produce-rents of occupancy-tenants 	 14 
21. Reduction of rents referred to in the last foregoing sections 
[Cash rents paid by Tenants having Rights of Occupancy] 	 14 
22. Enhancement of cash rents of occupancy tenants 	 15 
23. Reduction of rents referred to in the last foregoing sections 	 15 
[General provisions relating to Suits for Enhancement or 
Reduction of Rent] 
24. Enhancement and reduction of rent by suit 	 15 
25. Discretion as to extent of enhancement or reduction 	 16 
26. Time for enhancement or reduction to take effect 	 16 
27. Adjustment of rents expressed in terms of the land revenue 	 16 
27.-A. Omitted 	 17 
28. Alteration of rent on alteration of area 	 17 
29. Remission of rent by Courts decreeing arrears 	 18 
30. Remission and suspension of rent consequent on like 
treatment of land revenue 	 18 
31. Power to Deposit rent in certain cases with revenue officer 	 19 
32. Effect of depositing rent 	 20 
33. Recovery of rent from attached produce 	 20 
Lease for period exceeding term of assenting Land Revenue 
34. Treatment of leased for period exceeding or equal to terms 
of assessment of land revenue 	 21 
CHAPTER - IV : RELINQUISHMENT, ABANDONMENT AND 
EJECTMENT 
35. Relinquishment by tenant for a fixed term 	 21 
	
36.• 	 Relinquishment by any other tenant 	 22 
37. Relinquishment of part only of a tenancy 	 22 
38. Abandonment of tenancy by occupancy tenant 	 22 
LIABILITY TO EJECTMENT 
39. Grounds of ejectment of occupancy-tenant 	 22 
40. Grounds of ejectment of tenant for a fixed ferm 	 23 
41. Ejectment of tenant from year to year 	 24  
CONTENTS 	 V 
PROCEDURE ON EJECTMENT 
42. Restriction on ejectment 	 24 
43. Application to Revenue Officer for ejectment 	 24 
44. Ejectment for failure to satisfy decree for arrear of rent 	 24 
45. Ejectment of tenant from year to year by notice 	 24 
46. Power to make rules 	 25 
GENERAL PROVISIONS RESPECTING EJECTMENT 
47. Time for ejectment 	 26 
48. Relief against forfeiture 	 26 
49. Rights of ejected tenants in respect of crops and Land 
prepared for showing 	 26 
Relief for Wrongful Dispossession  
50. Relief for wrongful dispossession or ejectment 	 27 
50-A. 	 Bar to civil suits 	 27 
51. Bar or relief by suit under Section 9, Act I of 1877 	 27 
Power to vary dates Prescribed by this Chapter 
52. Power for (State) Government to fix dates for certain purposes 27 
52-A. Omitted 	 28 
CHAPTER - V : ALIENATION OF AND SUCCESSION TO, RIGHT 
OF OCCUPANCY 
ALIENATION 
53. Private transfer of right of occupancy under Section 5 
by tenants 	 28 
54. Procedure on foreclosure of mortgage of right of occupancy 
under Section 5 	 29 
55. Sale of right of occupancy under Section 5 in execution of 
decree 	 29 
56. Transfer of right of occupancy under any other section than 
Section 5 	 29 
57. Rights and liabilities of transfer of right occupancy 	 29 
58. Subletting 	 30 
58-A. Transfer of right occupancy under any section of the Act 
by exchange 	 30 
59. Succession to right of occupancy 	 30 
60. Irregular transfer or right of occupancy 	 31 
VI CONTENTS 
CHAPTER - VI : IMPROVEMENTS AND COMPENSATION 
IMPROVEMENTS BY LANDLORDS 
61. Improvements by landlords on tenancies of occupancy tenants 
62. Enhancement of rent in consideration of an improvement 
made by a landlord on the tenancy of an occupancy tenant. 
IMPROVEMENTS BY TENANTS 
63. Title of occupancy tenant to make improvements 
64. Title of tenants not having right of occupancy to make 
improvements 
65. Improvements made before commencement of this Act 
66. Improvements begun in anticipation of ejectment 
67. Tender of lease of twenty years to tenant to be a bar to right 
to compensation 
68. Liability to pay compensation for improvements to tenants 
on ejectment or on enhancement of his rent. 
69. Compensation for disturbance of clearing tenants. 
70. Determination of compensation by Revenue Courts. 
71. Determination of compensation by Revenue officers 
72. Matters to be regarded in assessment of compensation 
for improevements 
73. Form of compensation 
74. Relief in case of ejectment before determination of 
compensation 
CHAPTER - VII : JURISDICTION AND PROCEDURE 
JURISDICTION 
75. Revenue officers 
76. Applications and proceedings cognizable by Revenue officers 
77. Revenue Courts and suits cognizable by them 
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL 
78. Superintendence and control of Revenue Officers and 
Revenue :Courts 
79. Power to distribute business and withdraw and transfer cases 
APPEAL. REVIEW AND REVISION 
45 
33 
34 
34 
34 
35 
36 
36 
38 
80. " Appeals 
81. Limitation for appeals 
CONTENTS 	
VII 
	
89. 	 Power of Revenue Officers of Revenue Courts to summon 
persons 
33 	 90. 	 Mode of service of summons 
	
91. 	 Mode of service of notice, order or proclamation or copy 
thereof 
Additional made of publishing proclamation 
33 
33 
33 
33 
	
_ 82. 	 Review by Revenue officers 
32 	 83. 	 Computation of periods limited for appeals and applications 
for review 
32 	 84. 	 Power to call for examine and revise proceedings of Revenue 
officers and Revenue Courts 	 48 
85. Procedure of Revenue Officers 	 50 
86. Persons by whom appearances may be made before Revenue 
officers as such and not as Revenue Courts 
87. Costs 
92. 
88. 	 Procedure of Revenue Courts 
52 
52 
51 
51 
51 
48 
45 
54 
54 
54 
55 
56 
56 
57 
57 
57 
58 
53 
53 
93. Joinder of tenants as parties to proceedings relating to rent 	 53 
94. Exception of suits under this Act from operation of certain 
enactments 
35 	 95. 	 Payment into Court of money admitted to be due to a third 
persons 
96. 	 Execution of decrees for arrears of rent 
35 	 97. 	 Prohibition of imprisonment of tenants in execution of decrees 
for arrears of rent 	 54 
98. Power to refer party to Civil Court 	 55 
99. Power to refer to High Court questions as to jurisdiction 	 55 
100. Power of High Court of validate proceedings held under 
mistakes as to jurisdiction 
Miscellaneous - 
101. Place of sitting 
43 	 102. Holidays 
44 106. 	 Power for Financial Commissioner to make rules 
43 	 103. 	 Discharge of duties of Collector dying or being disabled 
104. Retention of powers by Revenue officers on transfer 
105. Conferment of powers of Revenue Officer or Revenue Court 
VIII 	
CONTENTS 
106A. Licensing of petition writers in Revenue Courts and 
Revenue Offices 	
59 
11Punjab Amendment' 
108. 	 Powers exercisable by Financial Commissioner from time 
107. 	 Rules to be made after previous publication 	 59 
to time 	
59 CHAPTER - VIII : EFFECT OF THIS ACT ON RECORDS OF RIGHTS 
AND AGREEMENT 
THE 
PUNJAB TENANCY 
RULES, 1909 
CONTENTS 
109. Nullity of certain entries in record-of-rights 59 (i) Limitation of powers of Naib-Tahsildars 62 
110. Nullity of certain agreements contrary to the Act 60 (ii) Limitation of powers of other Assistant Collectors of 2nd 
111. Saving of other agreements when in writing 6C grade 62 
112. Effect of certain entries made in records-of-rights before 
November, 1871 61 
2. (i) Statements and pleadings to be brief 
(ii) Verification of applications 
62 
62 
The Schedule—Enactment repealed 61 3. Proceeding not to abate on death or marriage of party 63 
4. In fixing dates etc., Revenue Officer to follow procedure of 
Revenue Court Commission 63 
5. Repealed 63 
6. Expenses of Witnesses 63 
7. Record of other proceedings under Tenancy Act 63 
8. Contents of orders 63 
9. Appointment and recovery of costs 63 
10. Execution of order of ejectment, etc. 64 
11. Arbitration 64 
ONGUAGE OF REVENUE OFFICES AND COURTS 
12. Language of Revenue Courts and Offices 64 
13. Repealed 64 
14. Processes of arrest not to be issued between certain dates 64 
15. Contents of application for issue of notices of ejectment etc. 65 
16. Appearances of Pleaders and Mukhtars in proceedings 
before the Financial Commissioner 65 
17. Contents of applications for revision 66 
18. Repealed 66 
THE 
PUNJAB PETITION 
WRITERS (REVENUE) 
RULES; 1982 -  
CONTENTS 
Sections 	 Page No. 
1. Short title and commencement 67 
2. Definitions 67 
3. Prohibition to Practice as Petition writer without licence 68 
4. Prohibition to receive petitions 68 
5. Number of petition writers 68 
6. Licensing Authority 68 
7. Eligibility for grant of licence 68 
8. Application for licence 69 
9. Fees 69 
10. Grant of refusal of a licence 69 
11. Period of validity of licence 69 
12. Renewal of licence 69 
13. Licence lost or damaged 70 
14. Conditions on which licence remains in force 70 
15. Shifting of place of business by the licensee 70 
16. Manner of writing petition by a licensed petition-writer 70 
17. Seal 71 
18. Registers of petition-writers to be kept 71 
19. Declaration to be made on the petition 71 
20. Petition-writer to sign and seal the petition and make certain 
endorsements 71 
21. Employment of other persons to write petitions 71 
22. Not to act as recognised agent 71 
23. Not to engage in trade or business 71.  
CONTENTS XI 
24. Production of licence for inspection 71 
25. Fee charges for writing petitions 72 
26. Suspension or cancellation of licence 72 
27. Surrender of licence 72 
28. Rules for practice 72 
29. Order to re-write a petition 73 
30. Striking off the name from register 73 
31. Name of the petition-writer whose licence has been 
suspended to be posted at a conspicuous place 73 
32. Order prohibiting practice 73 
33. Cognizance 74 
34. Appeal 74 
35. Review 71 
FORMS & SCHEDULE 74-79 
THE 
PUNJAB OCCUPANCY 
TENANTS (Vesting of 
Proprietary Rights)  
Act, 1952 
(Punjab Act No. 8 of 1953) 
CONTENTS 
Sections Page No. 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 81 
2. Definitions 82 
3. Vesting of proprietary rights in occupancy tenants and 
extinguishments of corresponding rights of landlords 83 
4. Determination of compensation payable to landlord 84 
5. Principles of compensation 85 
6. Payment of Compensation 86 
7. Appeal, review and revision 86 
8. Certain mortgages and charges not enforceable against 
land held by occupancy tenants 87 
9. Act not to apply to evacuee property 88 
10. Bar of jurisdiction 88 
11. Bar to legal proceedings 89 
12. Power to make rules 89 
13. Repeal and saving 90 
li 
THE 	 .`k?P'41 
PUNJAB   TENANCY 
ACT, 1887  fv:ft 1173aTZST 
41-4 MTN & f)2 q b,7 
Chapter - I : Preliminary 	 agrat 
Case Law 
Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887—Occupancy rights—Exparte proceedings—
Mutations—Summons sent to a wrong address supplied by the respondents 
tenants—Impugned order—Assistant Collector had withdrawn its Exparte order—
The very basis of mutation enteries became non est—Order regarding entries of—
Mutations cannot be maintained. ; Kanwar Bhan v. Rashid : 2008(3) ALL INDIA 
LAND LAWS REPORTER (FC) 546 
Civil Procedure Code, 1908, Order 23, Rule 1—Punjab Security of Land Tenures 
Act, 1953—Civil Court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit for possession of the 
agricultural land as the suit for eviction of a lessee/tenant can be filed only before 
the Revenue Court under the provisions of the Punjab Tenancy Law read with Punjab 
Security of Land Tenure Act, 1953—The provisions of the those Acts are applicable 
only in case the landlord wants to eject the tenant from the agricultural land—
There is no evidence that the defendants are tenants on the suit land—Once it has 
been found that they are not the lessee of the suit land, it cannot be said that the present 
suit is not maintainable in view of the provisions of the Punjab Tenancy Law read with 
Punjab Security of Land Tenure Act, 1953. ; Gurdeep Singh and others v. Dera 
Gossian and another: 2008(3) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (P&H) 727 
With the enforcement of 1953 Act, plaintiffs, occupancy tenants, claim ownership 
rights as per provisions of S. 3 of the Act—Jurisdiction—Lower Court decided civil 
Court decided civil Court had the jurisdiction to try the suit—Plaintiffs prayer is 
based on the nature of tenancy—Whether plaintiffs were occupancy tenants on 
the relevant date is the question—Which could be decided only under the Punjab 
Tenancy Act, 1877—Section 77(3)(d)—Such a decision, if in the affirmative would 
entitle the plaintiffs to enlargement of their occupancy tenants rights into proprietary 
rights—And it is the revenue Court alone which can go into the question—Civil 
Court has no jurisdiction—Trial Court directed to return the plaint to plaintiffs for 
presentation to the Revenue Court Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887, Section 77(3)(d)— 
Punjab Occupancy Tenants (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Act, 1953—Section 
10—Occupancy Tenants (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Act, 1953—Section 10—
Occupancy Tenants; Omkar Singh v. Nirmal : 2001(1) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS 
REPORTER (Pb. & Hry.) 208. 
Govt. Land in illegal cultivating possession—No rent paid—Trespasser sought to 
be ejected under Land Tenures Act, 1953—Commissioner found under Section 21 
[Act No. 16 of 18871 
2 	
THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 
Sections:- 1 - 4 
of the 1953 Act, State could not eject a tenant—Further observed that State was 
competent to eject its tenant under Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887—Made a reference 
of F.C.— Recommendations of the Commissioner accepted—Punjab Security of 
Land TenuresAct, 1953—Sections 9 and 24—Haryana Public Premises and Lands 
(Rent Recovery and Eviction) Act, 1972—Sections 4 and 5.; Amar Nath v. State 
of Haryana; 1999(3) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (F.C., Hry.) 283. 
1. 	 Short title, extent and commencement.--(1) This Act may be 
loalled the Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887. 
(2) It extents to the whole of the territories [—] (The words "including 
the pargana of "Spiti" omitted by the Government of India (Adaptation of 
Indian Laws) Order, 1937) [—] (The words "for the time being" were omit-
ted by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937) 
administer by the [(Subs. for the word "Lieutenant Governor" by the Gov-
ernment of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937, Section 4(1)) 
[State] (Sub. for the word "Provincial" by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 
1950) Government of] [Punjab] (Subs. for "East Punjab" (which had been 
subs. for "Punjab" by the Indian Independence (Adaptation of Central Acts 
and Ordinance) Order, 1948) by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950) [—
] (The word "except the Hazara District" omitted by the Indian (Adaptation 
of Existing Indian Laws) Order, 1947) and 
(3) It shall come into force on such day as the [State] (Sub. for the 
word "Provincial" by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950) Government with 
the previous sanction of the [Central Government] (Subs. for the words 
"Governor-General in Council by the Government of India (Adaptation of 
Indian Laws) Order, 1937) may be notification appoint in this behalf. 
2. 	 Power to make rules in anticipation of commencement.—(Re- 
pealed) (Repealed by the Repealing and Amendment Act, 1891 (XII of 1891), 
Section 2(1)). 
3. 	 Repeal.—[Repealed]  [Repealed by the Repealing and Amendment 
Act, 1891 (XII of 1891)] 
4. 	 Definitions.—In  this Act, unless there in something repugnant in 
the subject or context, — 
(1) "Land" means land which is not occupied as the site of any building 
in a town or village and is occupied or has been let for agricultural pur-
poses of for purposes sub-survient to agriculture, or for pasture, and in-
cludes the sites of buildings and other structures on such land. 
(2) "pay" with its grammatical variations and cognate expression, in- 
cludes, when used with reference to rent, "deliver", and "render", with their 
grammatical variations and cognate expre;:sions; 
THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 
	 3 
Sections:- 1 - 4 
(3) 	 "rent" means whatever is payable to a landlord in money, kind 
or service by a tenant on account of the use or occupation of land 
held by him; 
(4) 	 "arrear of rent" means rent which remains unpaid from the date on 
which it becomes payable; 
(5) 	 "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 that land 
to that other person; but it does not include— 
(a) an inferior landowner, or 
(b) a mortgagee of the rights of a landowner, or 
(c) a person to whom a holding has been transferred, or an estate 
or holding has been let in farm under the Punjab Land Revenue 
Act, 1887 (XVII of 1887), for the recovery of an arrear of land rev-
enue or of a sum recoverable as such an arrear, or 
(d) a person who takes from the [Government] [Subs. for the work  
"Crown" by the adaptation of Laws Order, 19501 a lease of unoccu-
pied land for the purpose of subletting it: 
(6) 	 "landlord" means 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: 
(7) 	 "tenant" and "landlord" include the predecessors and successor in 
terest of a tenant and landlord, respectively: 
(8) , "tenancy" means a parcel of land held by a tenant of a landlord 
under one lease or one set of conditions: 
(9) 	 "estate" "landlord" and "holding" have the meanings, respectively, 
assigned to those words in the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887; 
(10) "land revenue" means land revenue assessed under any law for 
the time being in force or assessable under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 
1887 (XVII of 1887), and includes— 
(a) any rate imposed in respect of the increased value of land due 
to irrigation, and 
(b) any sum payable in respect of land, by way of quit-rent or of 
commutation of service, to the [Government] (Subs. for the word 
"Crown" by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 19501 or to a person to 
whom the [Government] (Subs. for the word "Crown" by the Ad-
eptation of Laws Order, 19501 has assigned the right to receive 
the payment: 
4 	 THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 
Sections:- 1 - 4 
(11) 	 "rates and cesses" means rates and cesses which are primarily 
payable by landowners, and includes, — 
(a) [--] [Repealed by Repealing and Amendment Act, 1891 (XI of 
1891)] 
(b) the local rate, if any payable under the Punjab District Boards 
Act, 1883 (XX of 1883), and any fee leviable under Section 33 of 
that Act from landowners for the use of, or benefits derived from, 
such works as are referred to in Section 20, clauses (i) and (j) of 
that Act; 
(c) any annual rate chargeable on owners of lands under Section 
59 of the Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, 1873 (VIII of 1873) 
(d) the zaildari and village officer's cesses; and 
(e) sums payable on account of village expenses; 
(12) 	 "village-cess" includes any cess, contribution or due which is cus- 
tomarily leviable within an estate and if neither a payment for the use of 
private property or for personal service, nor imposed by or under any en-
actment for the time being in force: 
(13) 	 "village officer" means a chief headman, headman or patwari. 
(14) 	 "Revenue Officer" or "Revenue Court" in any provisions of this Act 
means a Revenue Ofi•:Icer or Revenue Court having authority under this 
Act to discharge the function of a Revenue Officer or Revenue Court as 
the case may be under that provisions: 
(15) 	 "jagirdar" includes any person, other than a village servant, to whom 
the land revenue of any land has been assigned in whole or in part by the 
[Government] [Subs. for the word "Crown" by the Adaptation of Laws Or- 
der, 19501 or by an officer of the [Government] [Subs. for the word "Crown" 
by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 19501: 
(16) 	 "legal practitioner means any legal practitioner within the meaning 
of the Legal PractitionerAct, 1879 (XVIII of 1879) except a mukhtar: 
(17) 	 "agriculture year" means the year commencing on the sixteenth 
day of June, or on such other date as the [State] [Subs. for the word "Pro- 
vincial" by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 19501Government may by notifi-
cation appoint for any local area: 
(18) 	 "notification" means a notification published by authority of the [State] 
[Subs. for the word "Provincial" by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 19501 
Government in the Official Gazette: and 
THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 	 5 
Sections:- 1 - 4 
(19) 	 "imprisonment" means, with reference to a tenancy any work which 
is suitable to the tenancy and consistent with the conditions on which it is 
held by which the value of the tenancy has been and continues to be in-
creased, and which, if not executed on the tenancy, is either executed 
directly for its benefit, or is, after execution made directly beneficial to it. 
Explanation 1.  – It includes, among other things – 
(a) the construction of wells and other works for the storage or 
supply of water for agricultural purposes; 
(b) the construction of works for drainage and for protection against 
floods; 
(c) the 'planting of trees, the reclaiming, enclosing, levelling and 
terracing of land for agricultural purposes and other works of a like 
nature; 
(d) the erection of buildings required for the more convenient or 
profitable cultivation of a tenancy; and 
(e) the renewal of construction of any of the foregoing works, or 
such alternations therein, or additions thereto, as are not of the 
nature of mere repairs and as durably increase their value; 
But it does not include such clearances, embankments, levellings 
enclosures, temporary well and water channels as are made by tenants 
in the ordinary course of cultivation and without any special expenditure, 
or any other benefit accruing to land from ordinary operations of 
husbandry. 
Explanation II.  –A work which benefits several tenancies may be deemed 
to be with respect to each of them, an improvement. 
Explanation Ill.  –A work executed by a tenant is not improvement if it 
substantially diminishes the value of any other part of his landlord's 
property. 
(20) 	 [—] [Omitted by the Indian (Adaptation of Existing Indian Laws) Or- 
der, 1947 Section 4(1)1 
Case Law 
S. 4—Landlord and Tenant—Relationship of—Can come into existence as a result 
of agreement—Agreement may be express or implied—Implied relationship may 
be inferred from the conduct of the parties—Payment of rent is one of the factors; 
1990(1)ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER 61. 
Section 4(1)—Land Revenue Assessment Rules, 1929, Rule 2(2)—Punjab 
Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953, Section 27(e)—Surplus area—VairMumkin' 
as well as Saranr Land computed towards total holding of the landowner for 
6 	 THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 
Sections:- 1 - 4 
assessing the surplus area—The Sarani' Land if falls within the ambit of Banjar 
Jadid' or 'Banjar Kadim' has to be excluded from surplus area—Matter remitted 
to the Collector to ascertain the extent of Gair Mumkin land, Banjar Kadim and 
Banjar Jadid at the relevant date and recompute the permissible area and decide 
the case afresh. ; Wing Commander Paramprit Singh v. State of Punjab : 2009(1) 
ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (P&H) 135 
Sections 4(1) & 5— Grant of ownership rights in lieu of occupancy rights—Lands 
involved are described as Banjar Qadim— Not a land within the meaning of Section 
4(1) of the 1887 Act—No occupancy rights can be claimed by the Tenants—And 
such occupancy rights cannot further ripen into ownership rights.; Dharam Singh 
(deceased) L.Rs. and others v. Bhagwan Singh and others : 2005(3) ALL 
INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (Pb. & Hry.) 172 
Section 4(1) & 5— Tenants rights to be declared occupancy Tenants—Where a 
tenancy has last forever 50 years on a nominal rent inspite of inflation in agricultural 
prices, and no demand for enhancement of rent was made, and there was an 
implied promise not to eject long and uninterrupted possession by tenants would 
entitle them to grant of occupancy rights as also ownership rights.; Dharam Singh 
(deceased) L.Rs. and others v. Bhagwan Singh and others : 2005(3) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (Pb. & Hry.) 172 
Section 4(1)—Plaintiff seeks partition of suit property as he is the Co-sharer to the 
extent of 'A share in property—Defendants have encroached upon his share—
Defendants written statement is (i) suit not maintainable (ii) suit bad for non joinder 
of necessary parties (iii) plaintiff has abandoned his right, title interest and 
defendants have become owners of land—Trial Court dismissed the suit of plaintiffs— 
Lower appellate whereas upheld the contention of plaintiff further held that land 
described as Gair Mumkin Khad or Gair Mumkin Kalar does not come within the 
definition of land as provided under Section 4 of Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887, Civil 
Court had jurisdiction to try the suit—Once upon a time the suit bearing and is a 
nature of plots—For all intents and purposes, the suit land which once was 
agricultural stands converted into residential now—Revenue officer have no 
jurisdiction to effect partition of non-agricultural land—This was upheld and appeal 
by defendants was dismissed—Civil Procedure Code, 1908—Section 9—Punjab 
land Revenue Act, 1887—Section 110.; Challu etc. v. Khushi Ram : 2001(1) ALL 
INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (P&H) 381 
Section 4(3) & (4)—Rent—Arrears of Rent—According to the definition, rent 
means whatever is payable to a landlord in money, kind or service by a tenant on 
account of the use or occupation of land held by him and arrears of rent means rent 
which remains unpaid from the date on which it became payable—Words and.  Pharas.; Sardar Singh v. State of Punjab : 2000(3) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS 
REPORTER (P&H) 28 
Section 4(5)—Status of tenant—Petitioner and Respondent are brothers who 
inherited land from their father and there was family settlement—Redemption of 
land by respondent does not confer status of a tenant on petitioner—To confer 
status of tenant rent should be recorded in revenue record—No entry of petitioner 
THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 	 7 
Sections:- 1 - 4 
being tenant in jamabandi—Column of rent also empty—Entry of petitioner in 
revenue record as a co-sharer gair maurisi does not ispo facts convey the status of 
a tenant.; Bhoora Ram v. Mukh Ram : 2002(1) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS 
REPORTER (FC, Hry) 327 
Section 4(5)—Haryana Utilisation of Surplus and other Areas Scheme, 1976—
Tenant permissible area—Suit for recovery of rent—Tenant denied relationship of 
tenant and landlord—Land having been declared surplus, was tenants permissible 
area, have vested in the State—No where in this record, land had been recorded as 
T.P.A.—Jamabandi record shows plaintiffs as owners and defendants as cultivators—
Plaintiffs suit was decreed by A.C. and confirmed upto F.C.—Appeal—Tenant has 
to apply for T.P.A. and T.P.A. has to be specifically declared by competent 
authority—Land in dispute was never declared T.P.A.—Till then tenant has to 
continue to payment—Writ petition fails—Haryana Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 
1972. ; Lal Chand v. The Sub Divisional Officer (Civil)-cum-Assistant Collector 
: 2002(1) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (P&H) 627 
Sections 4(5) and 4(8)—Tenancy—Is constituted by the factum of cultivation plus 
• payment of rent—In present case, respondent claimed to be tenants but no receipts 
of payment of rent have been produced—Claim vitiated.; Orakurdwara Nityanand 
Mandir Khudan v. Dharmpal ; 2003(1) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER 
(F.C. Hry.) 226 
Ss. 4(5) and (6)—Landlord and tenant—Relationship of—Plea that relationship of 
landlordand tenant come to an end as ejectment order passed for non-payment of 
rent for Rabi 1983—Such order and plea would not govern the relationship earlier to 
Rabi 1983; 1990(1) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER 391. 
S. 4(5)—Appellant claims possession as a tenant—The question of fact has been 
decided against.the appellant by the lower appellate Court—And mere mention of 
word "chair Marusi" does not clothe him with that status; 1995(2) ALL INDIA 
LAND LAWS REPORTER 10. 	 • 
Sections 4(6) and 14— Landlord: is a person under whom the tenant holds the 
land and to whom tenant is liable to pay rent— But the term in Section 14 is not 
used in relation to a tenant as the land may not been occupied with consent—And 
inspite of tenant having given up possession of the land, landlord is liable for arrears 
are made recoverable under Section 77(3) (n) of the Punjab TenancyAct— Strictly 
speaking inspite of the tenant having gone out of the land, the owner remains a 
landlord till the arrears are paid/recovered.; Vijay Singh v. The Financial 
Commissioner, Haryana and others : 2003(3) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS 
REPORTER (Pb. & Hry.) 515 
Sections 4(6), 14 & 77—Whether a mortgagee in possession can successfully 
maintain a suit for recovery of rent from landlord/mortgagor is the question to be 
decided—In this case the petitioner is the mortgagee with possession and the 
respondents 5 to 9 are the mortgagees now as tenants inducted by the plaintiff 
himself—Version of the plaintiff that dependents 5 to 9. are in possession of the 
land, possession parted with by petitioner by an oral agreement as parties had 
good relations— Even if the defendants had occupied the land forcibly, they would 
8 	 0-HE PUNJAB TENANCYACT, 1887 	 THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 	 9 
Section:- 6 
4, & 4(3)—Vesting of Rights in Panchayats and non proprietors—Appellants had 
not accorded a status similar to occupancy tenants by custom or otherwise (though 
not recorded as occupancy tenants in the revenue record), such as Dholidars, 
Bhomidars, Butimars, Basikhuophaus, Saunjidars and Muciararidars- Appellants 
were not mortgagees in favour of whom, the land was mortgaged with possession—
The Panchayat had vested right in the land in dispute. Held, Section 4(3) will be 
attracted only if the following 3 conditions are satisfied :- 
i) the person must be cultivating land which is part of Shamlat deh of village 
ii) he should be cultivating such land for a period of 12 years immediately preceeding 
the commencement of the Act; and 
iii) he should be cultivating such land without payment of charges in excess of the 
land revenue ancrcess. ; Puran & Ors. y. Gram Panchayat, Faridabad : 2006(2) . 
ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER-(Supreme Court) 319 
Sections 5 and 8, Right of Occupancy—Such is based on title— Title is not made 
out—Appellants could not establish that they took the suit land from Gram panchayat 
in the year 1966 and held the land under the Gram Panchayat as lessee and 
occupied it consciously for thirty years in the manner described in sub Section (2) 
of Section 5—They are precluded from establishing a right of occupancy. ; Puran 
& Ors. v. Gram Panchayat, Faridabad : 2006(2) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS 
REPORTER (Supreme Court) 319 
Sections 5, 8 and 84—Occupancy rights—Grant of—Cultivation of land proved for 
being more than 30 years—Crucial Jamabandi on the record for relevant year is 
tampered copy—Photocopy of the duly attested jamabandi is at variance with 
copy of Jamabandi on record—Collector directed to decide afresh after summoning 
original revenue record and giving full opportunity to the parties.; Het Ram v. Badlu 
: 2002(3) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (FC, Hry.) 87 
—S. 5(2)—Occupancy tenant—Tenant—Tenant in continuous possession of a price 
of land for more than 30 years and paying no rent beyond the amount of land 
revenue—Presumption is that such a tenant fulfills the conditions of clause (a) for 
Section 5(1)—Entitled to claim apportionment of compensation under the Land 
Acquisition Acti1990(1) ALL INDIA CAND LAWS REPORTER 53. 
Section 5(3) & 82— Application is for review of order recorded by the previous 
F.C.—Finding recorded are that hone of tenants, petitioners, have qualified the 
condition of holding the tenancy for over 30 years—Not entitled to get benefit under 
Section 5 of the Tenancy Act—Held—•This finding of fact cannot be challenged in 
review—No merit in review application—Disallowed.; Harbans Singh v. State of 
Punjab ;1998(1) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER (P.C., Pb.) 490 
6. 	 Right of occupancy of other tenants recorded as having the  
Iright before passing. of puniab tenancy act, 1868.—A  tenant recorded 
in a record-of-rights sanctioned by the [State] [Subs. for the words "Provin-
cial" by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 19501Government before the twenty-
first day of OCtober, 1868, as a tenant having aright of occupancy in land 
Section:- 5 
be entitled to pay rent to the petitioner—Suit as ordered by Asstt. Collector 1st 
Grade in favour of plaintiff/petitioner is decreed.; Vijay Singh v. The Financial 
Commissioner, Haryana and others : 2003(3) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS 
REPORTER (Pb. & Hry.) 515 
Chapter - II : Rig ht  of Occupancy  
5. 	 Tenants having right of occupancy.—(1)  A tenant — 
(a) who at the commencement of this Act has, for more than two gen-
erations in the male line of descent through a grant-father or grand-uncle 
and fora period of not less than twenty years, been occupying land paying 
no rent therefor beyond the amount of the land revenue thereof and the 
rates and cesses for the time being chargeable thereon, or 
(b) who having owned land, and having ceased to be landowner 
thereof otherwise than by forfeiture to the Government or than by 
any voluntary act, has, since he ceased to be landowner continu-
ously occupied the land, or 
(c) who, in a village or estate in which he is settled along with or 
was settled by, the founder thereof as a cultivator therein, occu-
pied land on the twenty-first day of October, 1868, and has continu-
ously occupied the land since that date, or 
(d) who being jagirdar of the estate or any part of the,estate in which 
the land occupied by him is situate, has continuously occupied the 
land for not less than twenty years, or, having been such jagirdar, 
occupied the land while he was jagirdar and has continuously oc-
cupied it for not less than twenty years; 
has a right of occupancy in the land so occupied, unless, in the 
case of a tenant belonging to the class specified in clause (c), the landlord 
proves that the tenant was settled on land previously cleared and brought 
under cultivation by, or at the expense of, the fOunder. 
(2) If a tenant proves that he has continuously occupied land for thirty 
years and paid no rent thereof beyond the amount of the land revenue 
thereof and the rates and cesses for time being chargeable thereon it 
may be presumed that he has fulfilled the conditions of clause (a) of sub-
section (1). 
(3) The words in that clause denoting natural relationship denotes 
also relationship by adoption, including therein the customary appointment 
of an heir and relationship, by the usuage of a religious community. 
Case Law 
Sections 5 and 8—Punjab Occupancy Tenets (Vesting of Proprietory Rights Act, 
1953, Section 3—Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulations) Act, 1961, Section 
THE PUNJAB TENANCYACT, 1887 
Sections: - 12 - 13 
PUNJAB TENANCYACT, 1868 
(XXVIII of 1868) 
First column 
Section Clause Section 
1 
5 
5 
5 
6 
8 
THIS ACT 
!Second Column 
Sub-section 	 Clause 
5 
(a)  
(b)  
(c)  
(d)  
2 3 4 
(1)  5 (1) 
(2)  5 (1) 
(3)  5 (1) (4)  5 (1) 
6 
8 
Chapter - Ill : RENT: Rents generally 
12. 	 Respective rights of landlord and tenant to produce.  (1)The 
rent for the time being payable in respect of a tenancy shall be the first 
charge on the produce thereof. 
(2) A tenant shall be entitled to tend, cut and harvest the produce of his 
tenancy in due course of husbandry without any interference on the part of 
his landlord. 
(3) Except where rent is taken by division of the produce the tenant 
shall be entitled to the exclusive possession of the produce. 
(4) Where rent is taken by division of the produce— 
(a) the tenant shall be entitled to the exclusive possession of the 
whole produce until it is divided, 
(b) the landlord shall be entitled to be present at, and take part in 
the division of the produce, and 
(c) when the produce has been divided, the landlord shall be en-
titled to the possession of his share thereof. 
13. 	 Commutation and alteration of rent.—Where  rent is taken by 
any of the following methods, namely: - 
(a) by division or appraisement of the produce, 
(b) by rates fixed with reference to the nature of the crops grown, 
(c) by a rate on a recognized measure of area, 
(d) by a rent in gross on the tenancy, or 
10 
on rounds other than stated in act.— Nothing in the foregoing sections of this Chapter shall preclude any person from establishing a 
	 of occupancy on any ground other than 
the grounds specified in those right 
sections. Case Law S. 87-F. C. 
has admitted the claim of tenant as occupancy tenant on the basis of 
long occupation, no increase of rent when agricultural produce prices have escalated and improvements 
were made without approval of the land -owner, not objected to 
by him—
Land-owner is in appeal—Held0) Mere length of possession does not entitled a tenant to become an occupancy tenant—Such an intention is 
to be reflected at the inception of tenancy-00 annual rent was increase on mere than 
one occasions—(iii) documents submitted for power connection for 
d tubewell have not been produced—Order passed by Revenue Authorities that respondent had acquired occupancy tenant rights cannot legally be sustained—Set aside—Order passed by the Assistant Collector lsi 
Grade dismissing suit of the tenant is restored; 1995(2) ALL INDIA LAND LAWS REPORTER 146. 9. Ri • ht of occu • anc not to be ac.uired b mere la 
•se of time.— No tenant shall acquire a right of occupancy by mere lapse of time. 
10. 
Ri • ht of occu anc not to be ac • uired b 'oint owner in land held in "oint ownershi .n 	absence of custom to the contrary no one of several joint owners loft  land shall acquired a right of occupancy under this Chapter in land jointly owned by them. 11. Continuance of existin occu anc 
-ri hts._Notwithstanding anything in the anything in the foregoing sections of'this Chapter, a tenant 
who immediately before the commencement of this Act has a right of 
occupancy in any land under an enactment specified in any line 
of the first column of the following table shall, 
when this Act comes into force, be held to have, for all the purposes of this Act, a right of occupa 
that land under the enactment specified in ncy in column of the table: - the same line of the second 
THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT, 1887 
Sectioils:- 7 -11 
which he has continuously occupied from the time 
	
land p in 	
of that record, shall be deemed to have a right 
	 of the reparation 
th at unless the contrary has been 	 of occupan cy 
 established by a decree of a competent Court in a suit instituted before the passing of this Act. 
7. 	
Ri lit of occu anc in land taken in exchan e.—If 
the tenant has voluntarily exchanged the land, or any portion of the land, formerly 
occupied by him for other land belonging to the same landlord, the land 
taken in exchange shall be held to be subject to the same right of occu-pancy as that to which the land given in exchane ject if the exchange had not taken place. 	 g would have been sub- 8. 	
Establishment of ri ht of occu anc hose ex ress 
12 	 THE PUNJAB TENANCY ACT 1887 
Section:- 14 
(e) partly by one of the methods specified in clause (a), (b) and (c) of this sub -section and partly by another or others of them; 
one of those methods shall not be commuted in whale or in part 
into another without the consent of both landlord and tenant. 
(2) 	 In the absence of a contract or a decree or order of competent 
authority to the contrary, a tenant whose rent is taken by any of the meth-
ods specified in clauses (a), (b) and (c) of sub-section (1), or by the meth-
ods specified in clause (d) of that sub-section, shall not be liable to pay for a tenancy rent at any higher rate, or of a higher amount, as the case may 
be, than the rate or amount payable in respect of the tenancy for the pre-
ceding agricultural year. 
14. 	 Payments for land occupied without consent of land- lord.—Any person in pdpsession of land occupied without the consent 
of the landlord shall be liable to pay for the use of occupation of that land 
at the rate of rent payable in the preceding agricultural year, or if rent was 
not payable in that year, at such rate as the Court may determine to be 
fair and equitable. 
Case Law 
Section 14-Mesne profits—Recovery of—Petitioner Purchasing land in good faith 
from a person who sold them in bad faith- Petitioners occupied the land with the 
consent of those purporting to be the owners-The person who illegally and wrongly 
alienated the land not a party in the suit- -No relationship of owner and tenant 
between respondent and the petitioners-Relying Shimla Banking and Industries 
case- Based on lis pendens based on maxim pendente lite, nihil innoveture meaning 
that pending the suit nothing should be changed-Held ignorance is no excuse, but 
willful and blatant deception also should not be rewarded-Held further section 14 of 
Punjab TenancyAct not applicable in the present case and petitioners not liable to pay mense profits.; Ja

Excerpt shown. Open the full act in Lexace.

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