Page 40 - Muzaffargarh Gazzetteer

It may be noted that the Tenancy Act of 1887 gave very little protection to
the tenants. After independence, it was decided to reduce disparity between
landlords and tenants either by guaranteeing greater protection to the
tenants or by limiting the optimum size of land. The Punjab Tenancy Act
1950 was passed with a view to abolish various cesses called “Haboob” which
the tenants had to pay to their landlords in addition to rent. This was followed
by the Punjab Protection and Restoration of Tenancy Act 1950. On the
recommendations of the Muslim League Agrarian Reform Committee, the
Punjab Tenancy Amendment Act 1952 was passed which, inter-alia, provided
the conversion of occupancy tenants into owners of the land they cultivated;
fixed the land-lord's share at 40% of the gross produce; and regulated Khud-
Kasht (owner cultivated area which could be held by the landlord). These
reforms, however, proved to be too radical in respect of determining the share
between the landlords and the tenants and hence were modified later. The
Government which came into power following Martial Law in the year 1958
promulgated M.L. Regulation No. 64 following the recommendations given by
the Land Reform Commission. This Regulation inter-alia contained the
following salient features:
1. No landlord could retain more than 500 acres of canal irrigated land or an
area of more than 36000 produce index units if not irrigated by canals. If the
area was partly irrigated by canals, and rest of it un-irrigated even then the
limit of 36000 produce index units was to be operative according to the
prescribed scale.
2. The land owners were given first option to select area for themselves which
was to be retained by them under the Land Reforms. The excess area was to
be surrendered, which became the property of the Land Commission for its
further disposal.
3. If the area surrendered by the Land owners was held by tenants then they
became the new land owners of such area after payment of a price @ Rs. 8/-
per produce index. The price was to be paid in half yearly installments up to
25 years. Each tenant was to be given 12.5 acres of land, i.e. equal to
subsistence holding.
4. An area of 50 acres in the old canal irrigated colonies of the former Punjab
Province and Bahawalpur State was declared to be an economic holding and
an area of 12.5 acres as subsistence holding.

5. These holdings could not be reduced below the limit prescribed. If a person
having an area of 12.5 acres or less wished to dispose of any part thereof, he
could not do so unless the entire property was alienated to the resident of
the same estate. Similarly, he could not reduce an economic holding below
the limit of 50 acres.

6. A joint khata could not be partitioned, if by doing so, the holdings were to
become uneconomic.

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