Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption of Lands) Act, 1971

No: 5 Dated: Apr, 22 1971

THE KANNAN DEVAN HILLS (RESUMPTION OF LANDS} ACT, 1971

(Act 5 of 1971)

    An Act to provide for the resumption of lands other than plantations in the Kannan Devan H1lls village in the Devicolam taluk of the Kottayam district and for the distribution of such lands for cultivation and purpose ancillary thereto.

    Preamble.- WHEREAS the lands comprising the entire revenue village of Kannan Devan Hills in the Devicolam taluk of the Kottayam district had been given on lease by the then Poonjar Chief to late Mr. John Daniel Munroe of London and Peermade on the 11th day of July, 1877, for coffee cultivation;

    AND WHEREAS the right, title and interest of the lessor had been assumed by the former Government of Travuncore ;

    AND WHEREAS by such assumption the lands have become the property of the former Government of Travancore :

    AND WHEREAS the Government of Kerala have become the successor to the former Government of Travancore ;

    AND WHEREAS large extent of agncultural lands in that village has not been converted into plantations or utilised for purposes of plantation and such lands are not required for the purposes of the existing plantation ;

    AND WHEREAS the Government consider that such agricultural lands should be resumed for the distribution thereof for cultivation and purposes ancillary thereto;

BE it enacted in the Twenty-second Year of the Repubhc of India as follows -

1 Short title, commencement application-(1) This Act may be called the Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption of Lands) Act, 1971.

(2) It shall be deemed to have come mto force on the 21st day of January, 1971.

(3) It applies to the lands comprising the revenue village of Kannan Devan Hills in the Devicolam taluk of the Kottayam district.

2 Definitions·- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) "appointed day'' means the 21st day of January, 1971 :

(b) "building" shall not include a temporary shed ;

(c) "Collector'' means the District Collector Kottayam, or any other officer not below the rank of a District Collector appointed by the Government, by notification in the Gazette, to excercise the powers and perform the functions of the Collector under this Act;

(d) "Land Board'' means the Land Board constituted under section 100 of the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963 (1 of 1964);

(e) "lessee" means a person in possession of any land situate in the Kannan Devan Hills village in the Devicolam taluk of the Kottayam district, who has derived the right to such possession by means of a document executed by late Mr. John Daniel Munroe of London and Peermade or any person claiming through him or any person claiming under or through any of the successors-in-interest of the said Mr. John Daniel Munroe;

(f) "plantation" means any land used by a person principally for the cultivation of tea, coffee, cocoa, rubber, cardamom or cinnamon (hereinafter referred to as "plantation crops'') ;

(g) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act.