THE CHHATTISGARH LAND REVENUE CODE, 1959

• PREAMBLE

An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to land revenue, the powers of Revenue Officers,
rights and liabilities of holders of land from the State Government, agricultural tenures and other
matters relating to land and the liabilities incidental thereto in Chhattisgarh

 Section 1 - Short title, extent, and commencement

It extends to the whole of Chhattisgarh but nothing contained in this Code except the provisions
relating to liability of land for payment of land revenue, the assessment of land revenue with
reference to the use of land, realisation of land revenue and all provisions ancillary thereto shall
apply to such areas as may, from time to time, be constituted as reserved or protected forest under
the Indian Forest Act, 1927 (XVI of 1927)

Section 2 – Definitions

• "ABADI" means the area reserved from time to time in a village in a non-urban area for the
residence of the inhabitants thereof or for purposes ancillary thereto, and any other local
equivalent of this expression such as "village site" or "gaonsthan" shall also be construed
accordingly;

• "AGRICULTURE" includes-

• (i) the raising of annual or periodical crops including betel leaves (Pan) and waternuts
(singhara) and garden produce;

• (ii) horticulture;

• (iii) the planting and upkeep of orchards; and

• (iv) the reserving of land for fodder, grazing or thatching grass;

• (v) the use of land for poultry, fisheries or animal husbandry in an area situated more
than five kilometers away from the periphery of urban areas;

• "AGRICULTURAL YEAR" means the year commencing on the first day of July or such other date
as the State Government may, by notification, appoint;

• "BONAFIDE AGRICULTURIST" means a person who cultivates land personally or who may
reasonably be expected to cultivate personally;

• "GOVERNMENT LESSEE" means a person holding land from the State Government under Section
181;

• "HOLDING" means- (i) a parcel of land separately assessed to land revenue and held under one
tenure; and (ii) in reference to land held by a tenant a parcel of land held from a bhumiswami
under one lease or set of conditions;

• "IMPROVEMENT" means with reference to a holding, any work which adds materially to the
value of the holding which is suitable thereto and consistent with the purpose for which it is held
and which, if not executed on the holding, is either executed directly for its benefit or is after
execution, made directly beneficial to it; and, subject to the foregoing provisions, includes-
 (i) the construction of tanks, wells, water channels, embankments and other works
for storage, supply, or distribution of water for agricultural purposes;

(ii) the construction of works for the drainage of land or for the protection of land
from floods, or from erosion or other damage from water;

(iii) the planting of trees and the reclaiming, clearing, enclosing, levelling or terracing
of land;

(iv) the erection of buildings on or in the vicinity of the holding, elsewhere than in
the abadi or urban area, required for the convenient or profitable use or occupation
of the holding; and

(v) the renewal or reconstruction of any of the foregoing works, or alterations

therein or additions thereto;

but does not include-

(a) temporary wells and such water channels, embankments, levelling, enclosures or
other works or petty alterations in or repairs to such works, as are commonly made
by cultivators of the locality in the ordinary course of agriculture; or

(b) any work, which substantially diminishes the value of any land, wherever
situated, in the occupation of any other person, whether as bhumiswami or
occupancy tenant;

Explanation.-A work, which benefits several holdings, may be deemed to be an improvement

with respect to each of such holdings

• "LAND" means a portion of the earth's surface whether or not under water; and, where land
is referred to in this Code, it shall be deemed to include all things attached to or
permanently fastened to anything attached to such land;

• "LANDLESS PERSON" means a person who is bonafide agriculturist and who whether
individually or jointly with other members of his family hold no lands or land less than the
area which may be prescribed in this behalf;

Explanation.-For purposes of this clause the family of a person shall be deemed to consist of
his spouse, issue, and parents.

• "rents" means whatever is paid or is payable in money or in kind-

(i) by an occupancy tenant to his bhumiswami according to the provisions of Section

188 or by a lessee to his bhumiswami on account of the use or occupation of land
held by him from such bhumiswami; or

(ii) by a Government lessee to the Government on account of the use or occupation

of land leased out to him by the Government;

• "SURVEY NUMBER" means a portion of land in non-urban area formed into, or recognised
as a survey number at the last preceding revenue survey, or subsequently recognised as
such by the Collector, in respect of which the area and land revenue payable are separately
entered under an indicative number in the land records; and includes, any portion of land
entered in the land records under an indicative number known as the khasra number;
 • "PLOT NUMBER" means a portion of land in urban area formed into or recognised as a plot
number under Section 93, in respect of which the area and the land revenue payable are
separately entered in the prescribed records under an indicative number and includes any
portion of land entered in the previous records under an indicative number known as khasra
or survey number;

• "TIMBER TREES" means trees of the following species, namely:-

• (i) Tectona grandis (sagwan)

• (ii) Pterocarpus Marsumpium (bija);

• (iii) Dalberia latifolia (shisham);

• (iv) Shorea robusta (sal);

• (v) tinsa;

• (vi) Terminalia tomentosa (ain or saj);

• (vii) Santalumalbam (Chandan);

• (viii) Adina cardifolia (Haldoo)

• (ix) Mitragyna Parviflora (Mundi);

• (x) Terminalia Arjuna (Arjun);

• (xi) Diaspyrous melanoxylon (Tendu);

• (xii) Gmelina arborea (Khamhar)].

• TO CULTIVATE PERSONALLY" means to cultivate on one's own account-

(i) by one's own labour; or

(ii) by the labour of any member of one's family; or

(iii) by servants on wages payable in cash or kind but not in crop share; or

(iv) by hired labour under one's personal supervision or the personal supervision of
any member of one's family

BOARD OF REVENUERevenue Board, has been constituted under CG Land Revenue Code 1959. It is
the Highest Court of appeal/ revision in revenue cases. In addition to this under other acts like CG
Excise Act and Indian Stamp Act etc., Revenue Board has been appoint to act as the Chief Revenue
Controlling Authority. principal seat of the Board is in Bilaspur C.G.

• Section 3 - Constitution of Board of Revenue

(1) There shall be a Board of Revenue for Chhattisgarh having a President.

(2) In addition to the President, the State Government may appoint as many members as it may
deem fit
RESPONSIBILITIES

• Following powers and functions have been conferred upon the Board by -

 Power of superintendence - section 8.

 Power to make rules - Section 9 & 41

 Power to transfer cases - section 29 (1).

 Power to hear appeals - section 44.

 Power of revision - section 50.

 Power of review - section 51.

The main administrative function of the Board are as under

• Supervision, direction and control of the work of Divl. Commissioners, Collectors, S.D.O.s and
Tahsildars. This also includes inspections of the work of Tahsildars, Collectors and
Commissioners and submission of annual remarks to Govt. about the work and conduct of
the Commissioner’s Collectors and S.D.O.s

• Establishment of Tahsildars and Naib Tahsildars

• Establishment of district and divisional offices.

• Administration of Government Estates.

• Survey, settlement and Record operations.

• Maintenance of Land records.

 • Collection, compilation and publication of statistics relating to land agriculture.

• Supervision, direction and implementation of land reforms measures.

• Work relating to abolition of Zamindari in urban areas of the state.

• Work relating to payment of compensation.

• Land Acquisition work including establishment of special Land Acquisition Officers.

• Direction and supervision of work relating to collections of land Revenue and Land
Development Tax, Irrigation dues and other Government dues which includes :-

• (a) Consolidation costs.

• (b) Forest dues

• (c) Excise dues.

• (d) Trade Tax

• (e) Motor vehicle taxes

• (f) Development loans

• (g) Industrial loans

• (h) Agriculture seed store

• (i) Electricity dues.

• (j) Such other dues as are recoverable as arrears of Land Revenue.

• Assisting Government in the Administration and supervision of the flood, drought, scarcity
and relief measures. .

• Administration and maintenance of revenue building.

• Supervision of all revenue court working in the state.

• Work relating to Agriculture and live stock census.

• Supervision of work relating Evacuee property

QUALIFICATION OF BOARD MEMBERS

• A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a member of the Board unless he-

– (a) is eligible for appointment as a Judge of the High Court; or

– (b) has been a Revenue Officer, and has held, for at least five years, an office not
lower in rank than that of a Collector.

POWERS OF SUPERINTENDENCE OF BOARD

• The Board shall, in respect of all matters subject to its appellate or revisional jurisdiction,
have superintendence over all authorities in so far as such authorities deal with such matters
and may call for returns.
REVENUE OFFICERS

 Commissioners

 (including Additional Commissioners)]

 Settlement Commissioner
 (including Additional Settlement Commissioners);
 Collectors
 (including Additional Collectors);

 Settlement Officers;

 Deputy Settlement Officers;

 Assistant Settlement Officers;

 Sub-Divisional Officers;

 Assistant Collectors;

 Joint Collectors

 (including Deputy Collectors);

 Tahsildars

 (including Additional Tahsildars);

 Superintendents of Land Records;

 Naib Tahsildars;

 Assistant Superintendents of Lands Records.