The Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954

{
    "id": 15724,
    "slug": "the-bihar-bhoodan-yagna-act-1954",
    "title": "The Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954",
    "short_title": "The Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954",
    "act_number": "Bihar Act 22 of 1954",
    "act_year": 1954,
    "act_type": "STATE",
    "location": "Bihar",
    "law_status": "unknown",
    "enactment_date": null,
    "description": "The Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954",
    "preamble": "",
    "section_label": "Section",
    "sections": [
        {
            "number": "1",
            "title": "1. Short title, extent and commencement.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 0
        },
        {
            "number": "2",
            "title": "2. Definitions.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) \"Bhoodan Yagna\" , means the movement initiated by Shri Acharya Vinoba Bhave for acquisition of land through voluntary gifts with a view to distribute it to landless persons [or to a village community, Gram Panchayat or a Co-operative Society organised by the Committee] ;\n[(a1) \"Collector\" includes an Additional Collector;]\n[(a2) \"Bank\" means-\n(i) a banking company as defined in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949);\n(ii) the State Bank of India constituted under the State Bank of India Act, 1955 (23 of 1955);\n(iii) a corresponding new bank constituted under the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (5 of 1970);\n(iv) a Regional Rural Bank established under the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976 (21 of 1976);\n(v) the Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation constituted under the Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation Act, 1963 (10 of 1963); and\n(vi) the Agricultural Finance Corporation Ltd., a Company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956)] ;\n(b) \"Committee\" means a Committee established under Section 3;\n(c) \"Land\" means land which is occupied or let for agricultural or horticultural purposes or for purposes subservient to agriculture or horticulture and includes waste-land [and things attached to the earth, such as trees, bamboo clumps, structures] ;\n(d) \"landless person\" means a person-\n(i) Whose main source of livelihood is agriculture or agricultural labour or who undertakes in writing to employ himself on lands granted to him under this Act; and\n[(ii) who does not hold any land or holds such areas of land not exceeding five acres as may be prescribed by the Committee] ;\n(e) \"owner\" means any person who holds any land as a proprietor or tenant and has a lawful title thereto and a transferable and heritable interest therein;\n[(e-1) \"prescribed\" means prescribed by rules or regulations made under this Act;\n(e-2) \"person\" includes a village community, Gram Panchayat or a Cooperative Society organised by the Committee; and]\n(f) \"Revenue Officer\" means the Collector, Additional Collector, Sub-divisional Officer, Additional Sub-divisional Officer [or any officer not below the rank of Sub-Deputy Collector] appointed by the State Government to discharge all or any of the functions of the Revenue Officer under this Act.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": true,
            "sort_order": 1
        },
        {
            "number": "3",
            "title": "3. Establishment of the Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Committee.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 2
        },
        {
            "number": "4",
            "title": "4. Constitution of the Committee and term of office.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 3
        },
        {
            "number": "5",
            "title": "5. Resignation by, and removal of, the Chairman or a member.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(i) has applied for being adjudged and insolvent or is an undischarged insolvent; or\n(ii) has been convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude; or\n(iii) refuses to act or becomes incapable of acting as Chairman or as a member or acts in a manner which the State Government, after hearing any explanation that he may offer, considers to be prejudicial to the objects of this Act.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 4
        },
        {
            "number": "6",
            "title": "6. Filling of casual vacancies.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 5
        },
        {
            "number": "7",
            "title": "7. Validity of proceedings.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 6
        },
        {
            "number": "8",
            "title": "8. Conduct of business of the Committee.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) the Chairman may, whenever he thinks fit, call special meetings;\n(b) every meeting shall be presided over by the Chairman and in his absence, by any member chosen by the members present to preside at the meeting;\n(c) all questions at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of the members present and voting and, in case of an equality of votes; the person presiding shall have and exercise a second or casting vote, and\n(d) the minutes of the proceedings of such meeting shall be recorded in a book to be provided for the purpose;",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 7
        },
        {
            "number": "9",
            "title": "9. Dissolution of the Committee.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) the Committee has, without reasonable cause of excuse, made default in the performance of its duties or the discharge of its functions, imposed by or under this Act, or exceeded or abused its powers; or\n(b) circumstances have so arisen that the Committee is rendered unable or may be rendered unable to discharge its functions under this Act; or\n(c) it is otherwise expedient or necessary to dissolve the Committee;",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 8
        },
        {
            "number": "10",
            "title": "10. Donation of land.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) any cremation or burial ground/tank or pathway;\n(b) lands recorded in the recorded rights as gair mazrua-aam;\n(c) lands held under service tenures;\n(d) any forest land notified under any of the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 (xvi, 1927), or the Bihar Private Forests Act, 1947 (Bihar Act ix, 1948);\n(e) lands containing mines and minerals, whether discovered or undiscovered or whether being worked or not; and\n(f) any other land which the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify;",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 9
        },
        {
            "number": "11",
            "title": "11. Publication of, and investigation upon the, Yagna Danpatra.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(i) that the donor is incompetent to make a gift;\n(ii) that the title of the donor is defective;\n(iii) that the donor is not a person entitled to donate the land under the provisions of Section 10 or Section 12.\n(a) summoning and enforcing attendance of witnesses and examining them on oath;\n(b) requiring the discovery and production of any document;\n(c) reception of evidence on affidavits;\n(d) requisitioning any public record from any Court or office;\n(e) issuing commission for examination of witnesses;\n[12. Donation of land by a proprietor or tenure-holder after vesting of his estate or tenure in the State under Bihar Act XXX of 1950.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 10
        },
        {
            "number": "13",
            "title": "13. Vesting of lands in the Bhoodan Yagna Committee.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 11
        },
        {
            "number": "14",
            "title": "14. Grant of land to landless persons.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(i) in case the donor's interest in such land was that of a proprietor or tenure-holder as defined in the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 (Bihar Act XXX of 1950), the grantee's right, title and interest shall be that of an occupancy raiyat liable to pay rent to the State Government;\n(ii) in case the estate or tenure, as the case may be in which such land is situated has vested in the State under the said Act, the right, title and interest of the grantee shall also be subject to the provisions of that Act; and\n(iii) in case such land has vested in the Committee under Section 12, the right, title and interest of the grantee shall be that of an occupancy raiyat liable to pay rent to the State Government;\n(i) [grantee, his heirs, assigns or successor-in-interest shall not be competent to sublet or transfer the land or any portion thereof by sale, gift or otherwise, but shall be competent to transfer the same by exchange with the previous permission of the Committee in writing ; and\n(ii) the rights of the grantee over such land shall be subject to such other restrictions and conditions as may be prescribed1 [by the Committee] ,\n[14A. Protection to the grantee of Bhoodan land from ejectment.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 12
        },
        {
            "number": "15",
            "title": "15. Donation and grant of land prior to the commencement of Act.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "[15A. Donation of waste land of village in the District of Santhal Parganas by the village headman or mulraiyat or ghatwal to be deemed to have been made by the owner thereof.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 13
        },
        {
            "number": "16",
            "title": "16. Settlement of donated land prior to distribution.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "[17. Appeals.\n(a) if passed under Sections 18, 21 or 22, to the prescribed authority; and\n(b) if passed under Sections 11 or 15-\n(i) to the Commissioner of the Division, if such order was passed by the Collector; and\n(ii) to the Collector, if such order was passed by any other Officer:\n[17A. Power of the Board of Revenue and the Commissioner to call for records.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 14
        },
        {
            "number": "17B",
            "title": "17B. General direction and control of the Collector, Commissioner and the Board.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 15
        },
        {
            "number": "18",
            "title": "18. Division of holding and distribution and assessment of rent.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) \"bakasht land\" means any land, other than the proprietor's private land or landlord's privileged land, which is for the time being in the cultivating possession of a proprietor or tenure-holder;\n(b) \"holding\" means a parcel or parcels of land held by a raiyat and forming the subject of a separate tenancy.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 16
        },
        {
            "number": "19",
            "title": "19. Bhoodan tenant.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(i) the area and description of the land;\n(ii) the name of the Bhoodan tenant;\n(iii) the amount of rent of the land fixed by the Revenue Officer by distribution of rent or otherwise;\n(iv) the mode in which the rent has been fixed;\n(v) the mode in which the Bhoodan tenant belongs;\n(vi) the name of the landlord; and\n(vii) any other particulars that may be prescribed;",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 17
        },
        {
            "number": "20",
            "title": "20. Exemption from stamp duty and registration.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 18
        },
        {
            "number": "21",
            "title": "21. Determination of grant and ejectment of grantee from the land.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "[22. Ejectment of persons in unlawful possession of lands.\n[22A. Procedure for ejectment.\n[22B. Sums payable to the Committee or the State Government shall be recoverable as public demand.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 19
        },
        {
            "number": "23",
            "title": "23. Provisions of Act to prevail over other laws.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "[23A. Penalty.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 20
        },
        {
            "number": "24",
            "title": "24. Power to make regulations.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) the form of Bhoodan Yagna Danpatra;\n(b) the grant of lands to landless persons [or to a village community, Gram Panchayat, or a Co-operative Society organised by the Committee] and restrictions and conditions attached to such grant;\n[(b1) terms and conditions subject to which settlement under Section 16 may be made;]\n(c) the preparation of its budget estimates;\n(d) the appointment of its officers and servants;\n(e) the appointment of subsidiary committees to assist it in the discharge of its functions;\n(f) the maximum and minimum areas to be granted to landless persons [*] :\n[(f1) the scheme of Bhoodan Yagna; and]\n(g) any other matter which may be prescribed.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 21
        },
        {
            "number": "25",
            "title": "25. Power to make rules.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) the documents to be filed with the Bhoodan Yagna Danpatra;\n(b) the nature, scope and manner of the inquiries under this Act;\n(c) the procedure for filing objections, their registration, hearing and disposal;\n(d) the manner and mode of service of notices under this Act;\n(e) the procedure relating to confirmation or supersession and cancellation of Bhoodan Yagna Danpatra;\n(f) the particulars to be shown in the list of lands prepared by the Collector; and\n(g) any other matter which is required to be or may be prescribed.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 22
        }
    ],
    "metadata": {
        "Act ID": "bh034",
        "Act Number": "Bihar Act 22 of 1954",
        "Enactment Date": "",
        "Act Year": "1954",
        "Short Title": "The Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954",
        "Type": "STATE",
        "Location": "Bihar"
    },
    "updated_at": "2026-09-29 21:55:19"
}