The Rajasthan Agricultural Lands Utilisation Act, 1954

 
 
Rajasthan Agricultural Lands Utilisation Act, 1954 
Act No. XXII of 1954 
(Received the assent of the President on the 6 th day of November, 1954). 
 
An Act to provide for the utilisation of uncultivated agricultural lands in 
the State of Rajasthan and for regulating the cultivation of specified crops.  
Be it enacted by the Rajasthan State Legislature in the fifth year of our 
Republic as follows — 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .- (1) This Act may be called the 
Rajasthan Agricultural Lands Utilisation Act, 1954. 
1(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Rajasthan.  
*[(3) It shall come into force in such area -and on such date, as .the State 
Government may, by notification in the  2[Official gazette] , specify from time to 
time. 
2. Definitions.- In this Act unless the context otherwise requires— 
(a) "Agricul-tural Land" means land, whether occupied or not, which is used, 
or is capable of being used, for agricultural purposes and includes fallow 
land. 
(b) "Landholder" means the person to whom rent is, or,  but for contract 
express or implied, would be, payable and includes a Jagirdar, a Biswedar, a 
Zamindar, a rent-free grantee, a grantee at a favourable rate of rent, a village 
servant, a tenant who has sublet or his mortgagee and an ijaredar or thekedar, 
but does not include the State Government; 
(c) "Lessee" means the person to whom land is let under this Act; 
(d) "Prescribed" means prescribed by or under thhis Act; and 
(e) "Tenant" means the person by whom rent is, or, but for a contract, express 
or impli ed, would be payable and includes a co -tenant, mortgagee and a 
grove-holder. 
3. Power to require cultivators to grow specified crops. - (1) Notwithstanding 
anything to the contrary in any law, custom or practice for the time being, the  
 
1. Substituted by item No. 37 of the Schedule of Rajasthan Act No. 27 of 1957, published in 
Rajasthan Gazette, Part IV-A, Extraordinary, dated 13.8.1957. 
*  Came into force in the whole of the State of Rajasthan from 15 -3-1958 vide Revenue (B) 
Department Notification No. F. 1(1 ) Rev. 9153 dated February 18, 1958, published in 
Rajasthan Gazette, Part IV-C, dated February 27, 1958. 
Rajasthan Agricultural Lands Utilisation Act, 1954 
State Government, if satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest to increase 
the production of fodder, food or any other commodity in any local area, may, by 
an order published in the 1[Official Gazette], direct that in such area every 
cultivator shall grow over a specified proportion of his holding such crop or crops 
as may be specified in such order, and different crops may be so specified for 
different parts of that area: 
Provided that no such direction shall be made unless the State Government 
has notified its intention of doing so and has taken into consideration any 
objections thereto that may be received within a month of such notification.  
(2) So long as an order issued under Section (1) is in force, no cultivator shall 
grow in his holding any crop other than the one which he is directed by such order 
to grow. 
4. Utilisation of land for cultivation purposes in certain circumstances .- (1) 
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law for the time being 
in force, if the Collector is satisfied that any agricultural land has remained 
uncultivated for two years or more or has not at all been cultivated, he may, by a 
written notice in the prescribed form, call upon the landholder or tenant of such 
land. within thirty days from the date of the service of such notice - 
(a) to cultivate the said land personally, or 
(b) to arrange for its cultivation forthwith, or 
(c) to let out or sublet such land for cultivation. 
Provided that no notice shall be issued under this sub-section in respect of any land 
which is grove land or which is considered necessary to be retained as pasture land 
or which is required to be kept fallow for regaining its fertility or which is by 
virtue of any custom or practice used as a threshing floor or a road or a path or an 
irrigation tank or for any other like purpose. 
(2) If such landholder or tenant shows to the satisfaction of the Collector within 
the time specified in sub-section (1) that the land in question is not capable of 
being cultivated, or that it is already being cultivated or has been let out for 
cultivation, the Collector shall cancel the notice. 
(3) The Collector may suspend the notice if he is satisfied that such land holder 
or tenant is making arrangements for the cultivation of the land himself and, if the 
whole or any part of such land is so cultivated within the time for which the notice  
remains suspended, the Collector shall cancel the notice in respect of the whole or 
part so cultivated. 
(4) If the notice is neither complied with nor cancelled under sub section (2) or 
sub-section (3) the Collector shall order the Tehsildar, to let out s uch land for a 
specified period not exceeding 2[five] years in the prescribed order of 
 
1. Substituted by item No, 37 of the Schedule  of Rajasthan Act No. 27 of 1957, published 
in Rajasthan Gazette, Part, IV-A, Extraordinary dated 13-8-1957. 
2. Substitued by Section 2 of Rajasthan Act Ni. 28 of 1960, published in Rajasthan gazette, 
part IV-A, Extraordinary dated 19-9-1960  
Rajasthan Agricultural Lands Utilisation Act, 1954 
preference and in the prescribed manner to a person on a rent to determine d in 
accordance with law, and the person to whom such land is let out shall be liable to 
pay the rent so determined direct to the land holder. 
(5) The Collector after considering objections, if any, may, while ordering the 
Tehsildar to let out land as aforesaid, direct that the lessees shall grow there in 
specified crops; and, subject to any such direction of the Collector, the Tehsildar 
may let out such land for the purpose of growing there in of a specified crop by the 
lessees. 
5. Appeals.- (1) An Appeal from an order of the Tehsildar under this Act shall 
lie to the Collector. 
(2) An appeal from an order of the Collector under this Act made otherwise 
than on appeal shall lie to the 3[revenue appellant authority]: 
(3) Any appeal under this section shall be preferred within thirty days of the 
order appealed from. 
(4) The decision or the Collector of the 3[revenue appellate authority] as the 
case may be, on an appeal preferred under this section shall, subject to the 
provision contained in sub-section (5) be final. 
(5) the Board of Revenue may revise any order passed under this Act by a 
collector or a 3[revenue appellate authority] on appeal. 
6. Penalties- If any person contravenes any of the provisions of section 3 or 
section 4 or an order made under either of the said section, he shall be punished 
with fine not exceeding five hundred rupees. 
7. Order not to be called in question.- Except as otherwise provided in this Act, 
no order made or action taken in exercise of any power conferred by or under this 
Act shall be called in question in any court or before any authority.  
8. Bar to legal proceedings.- (1) No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding 
shall lie for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done in 
pursuance of this Act or the rules made thereunder. 
(2) No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against the State Government for 
any damage caused by anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done 
under this Act. 
9. Power to make rules.- The State Government may, by notification in 
the 1[Official Gazette], make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act.  
10. 2[X X X]. 
 
1. Substituted by  Section 4 of Rajasthan Act No. 27 of 1957 , published in Rajasthan 
Gazette, part IV-A, Extraordinary, dated 13-8-1957. 
2. Omitted by item No. 37 of the Schedule ibid 
3. Substituted by item (10) of the Schedule with effect from 16 -11-1961 read with section 4 
of the Act, published in Rajasthan Gazette, Part IV-A, Extraordinary, dated 13-04-1962 

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