Section 2 — Definitions.

(1) In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,-

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(a) "appointed day" means the date of commencement of this Act;

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(b) "authorised holder" means a person in whom the ownership of watan land, which has been validly alienated permanently by the watandar, whether by sale or gift or otherwise, under the existing watan law, vests;

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(c) "Collector" includes any officer specially appointed by the State Government to exercise the powers and perform the functions of the Collector under this Part;

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(d) "existing watan law", in relation to any area, includes any enactment, ordinance, rule, by-law, regulation, order, notification, Vat-Hukum or any instrument, or any custom or usage, having the force of law, relating to patel watans, and which is in force in that area immediately before the appointed day;

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(e) "patel watan" means the office of patel of a village held hereditarily under the existing watan law, together with the tenure of watan property, if any, and the rights, privileges and liabilities attached thereto;

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(f) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under section 24;

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(g) "relevant Code" means-

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(i) in relation to the Bombay area of the State, the Bombay Land Revenue Code, 1879 (Bom. V of 1879);

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(ii) in relation to the Hyderabad area of the State, the Hyderabad Land Revenue Act (Hyd. VIII of 1317F);

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(iii) in relation to the Vidarbha region of the State, the Madhya Pradesh Land Revenue Code, 1954 (M.P. II of 1955);

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(h) "relevant tenancy law" means-

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(i) in relation to the Bombay area of the State, the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948 (Bom. LXVII of 1948);

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(ii) in relation to the Hyderabad area of the State, the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1950 (Hyd. XXI of 1950);

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(iii) in relation to the Vidarbha region of the State, the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region and Kutch Area) Act, 1958 (Bom. XCIX of 1958);

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(i) "representative watandar" means a watandar registered or recognised under the existing watan law, as having a right to perform the duties of the hereditary office of patel of a village;

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(j) "unauthorised holder" means a person in possession of a watan land without any right, or in possession under a lease, mortgage, sale, gift or any other kind of alienation which is null and void under the existing watan law;

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(k) "watandar" means a person having under the existing watan law a hereditary interest in patel watan of a village:

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Provided that, where any watan has been entered in a register of record under the existing watan law as held by the whole body of watandars, the whole of such body shall be deemed to be a watandar;

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(l) "watan land" means the land forming part of watan property;

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(m) "watan property" means the moveable and immoveable property hold, acquired or assigned under the existing watan law for providing remuneration for the performance of the duty appertaining to the hereditary office of patel of a village, and includes each payments made voluntarily by the State Government and subject to periodical modification or withdrawal.

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(2) Words or expressions used but not defined in this Part, shall have the meanings assigned to them in the relevant Code.

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(3) References in this Part to the incidents of patel watans shall, notwithstanding the abolition of those watans, be construed as references to the incidents as they were in force immediately before the appointed day.