Determination of Amount Payable to Landowners
This Tamil Nadu official guidance, headed “Land Reforms”, explains how the amount payable to a landowner is determined when land is notified as surplus under the Land Ceiling Act, 1961. The supplied pages do not identify the issuing department, order number or issue date, but they set out different treatment based on whether the surplus notification was before 27 October 1978 or on or after that date.
What the guidance covers
The Tamil Nadu Land Reforms guidance divides surplus lands into two groups for determining the amount payable to landowners:
- Land notified as surplus before 27 October 1978 is governed by Schedule III to the Land Ceiling Act, 1961, as amended by Act 39/1972. The calculation is based on cultivation and yield.
- Land notified as surplus on or after 27 October 1978 is governed by Schedule III to the Land Ceiling Act, 1961, as amended by Act 11/1979.
The guidance affects landowners whose land has been notified as surplus and officials calculating the amount due.
Annual value and amount payable
The annual value of the land must be determined first:
- Wet, dry or Manavari land: 20 times the land revenue.
- Dry or Manavari land irrigated from a government source for two or more crops: 20 times the land revenue plus Rs. 9 per acre.
- Land receiving direct-flow water for only one crop, within the stated one or more crops category: 20 times the land revenue plus Rs. 5 per acre.
- Dry or Manavari land irrigated from a private source: 20 times the land revenue plus Rs. 5 per acre.
- Waste land: five times the land revenue.
The amount payable is then calculated in bands:
- First Rs. 3,000 of annual value: 10 times.
- Second Rs. 3,000: nine times.
- Third Rs. 3,000: eight times.
- Fourth Rs. 3,000: seven times.
- Fifth Rs. 3,000: six times.
- Remaining annual value: five times.
The total of these bands is payable to the landowner.
Trees, buildings and other assets
The Land Reforms guidance also provides:
- Trees grown by human effort: Rs. 1,000 per acre.
- Orchards, plantation crops and fruit-bearing trees: Rs. 3,000 per acre.
- Stray trees of spontaneous growth: Rs. 250 per acre.
- Total payment for trees cannot exceed Rs. 3,500 per acre.
Buildings, machinery, plant, apparatus and wells are valued at written-down value under the Income Tax Act, 1961, as on the publication date of the notification under section 18(1).
Payment and review stages
The stated stages are an order under Rule 45(1), a DAR under section 50(3)(a), an order under section 50(4) if an objection is filed, and a FAR under section 50(5) or section 50(6), depending on whether an alteration is made or no objection is filed.
The appeal table identifies an objection under section 50(3)(a)(ii), an appeal under section 78 against a section 50(4) order, and a revision under section 82 against a section 50(5) FAR.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Does the surplus notification date affect how my payment is calculated?
Yes. Land notified before 27 October 1978 is governed by Schedule III as amended by Act 39/1972, while land notified on or after that date is governed by Schedule III as amended by Act 11/1979.
How is the basic amount payable to a landowner worked out?
The annual value is calculated first from land revenue and the land or irrigation category. Different multipliers are then applied to successive Rs. 3,000 bands of annual value, with the balance calculated at five times.
Will I receive a separate amount for trees on surplus land?
The guidance provides per-acre amounts for trees, orchards, plantation crops and fruit-bearing trees. The total amount payable for trees cannot exceed Rs. 3,500 per acre.
Can a landowner challenge the amount determination?
The guidance identifies an objection under section 50(3)(a)(ii), an appeal under section 78 against an order under section 50(4), and a revision under section 82 against a FAR under section 50(5).
