THE PUDUCHERRY SETTLEMENT ACT, 1970

 474

 
THE PUDUCHERRY SETTLEMENT ACT, 1970 

(No. 28 of 1970) 
________________________________________________________________________ 

 
 

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
 

SECTION 
 

CHAPTER I 
Preliminary 

 
1. Short title, extent and commencement. 
2. Definitions. 
 

CHAPTER II 
Officers, their powers, duties and functions 

 
3. Director and Settlement Officers. 
4. Power to take evidence on oath, etc. 
5. Power to enter upon land. 
 

CHAPTER III 
Settlement and assessment 

 
6. Settlement and resettlement. 
7. Determination of assessment. 
8. Manner of making settlement or resettlement. 
9. Term of settlement and reduction, suspension or remission of  
    assessment. 

          10. Registration of porambokes. 
          11. Liability for payment of assessment to Government. 
          12. Power to impose additional assessment or levy on trees. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 475

 
 

CHAPTER IV 
Land records 

 
            13. Settlement Register and Register of Rights. 

14. Procedure for finalisation of the Register of Rights. 
15. Publication of approved Register of Rights and revision of Settlement  
     Register. 
16. Modification or inclusion in the approved Register of Rights. 
17. Person acquiring by succession, etc., to furnish information. 
18. Procedure on acquisition of right through documents registered. 
19. Register of mutations. 
20. Certified copies. 
21. Appeal. 
22. Revision. 
 

CHAPTER V 
Miscellaneous 

 
23. Correction of mistakes in records. 
24. Delegation of powers. 
25. Bar of suits in Civil Courts. 
26. Protection of action taken in good faith. 
27. Power to make rules. 
28. Amendment to Act 8 of 1967. 
29. Certain assessments to continue. 
30. Repeal and savings. 
31. Power to remove difficulty. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

_______ 
 
 
 
 



 476

THE PUDUCHERRY SETTLEMENT ACT, 1970 
(Act No. 28 of 1970) 

28th Ocober, 1970. 
AN ACT 

 
to provide for the settlement of lands and assessment thereon in the Union 

territory of Puducherry and for the preparation of land records and for matters 
connected therewith or ancillary thereto. 

 
BE it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry in the Twenty-first 

Year of the Republic of India as follows: 
 

CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY 

Short title, extent and commencement 
 

1. (1) This Act may be called the Puducherry Settlement Act, 1970. 
 
    (2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Puducherry. 
 
    (3) It shall come into force on such 1date as the Government may, by 

notification, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different areas. 
 

Definitions 
 

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:- 
 
    (a) “assessment” means the land revenue assessment fixed under the 

settlement made in accordance with the provisions of this Act; 
 
     (b) “Collector” means the chief officer in charge of the revenue 

administration of the Union territory of Puducherry, and includes in relation to any 
function to be performed by the Collector under this Act, such other officer not 
below the rank of a gazetted officer as the Government may, by notification, 
appoint for the purpose; 

 
     (c) “Commune” means a commune constituted under French Decree 

dated 12th March, 1880; 
 
     (d) “Director” means the Director of Settlement appointed under 

subsection (1) of section 3; 
________________________________________________________________________ 
1. The Act came into force on the 11th day of January 1971, vide Notification —I in Gazette No.1 dated 5-1-1971. 



 477

(e) “fasli” means the year commencing with 1st July in any year and ending 
with the 30th June of the year next following; 

 
(f) “Government” means the Administrator appointed by the President 

under article 239 of the Constitution; 
 
(g) “holding” means a portion of land held by a person either singly or 

jointly with one or more persons; 
 
(h) “manyam land” means land registered as manyam land in the revenue 

accounts in favour of any religious, charitable or educational institution or in the 
name of any individual for rendering any specific service to any particular 
community or villagers in common and for which land tax or land revenue, as the 
case may be is levied under the law in force; 

 
(i) “notification” means a notification issued by the Government or any 

officer authorised by it in this behalf and published in the Official Gazette; 
 
(j) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules framed under this Act; 
 
(k) “registered holder” means a registered holder as defined under the 

Puducherry Survey and Boundaries Act, 1967 (Act No. 8 of 1967); 
 
*[(kk) “Secretary” means the Secretary to the Government of Puducherry in-

charge of the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management]. 
 
(1) “settlement” means the result of the operations conducted in a zone in 

order to determine the land assessment; 
 
(m) “Settlement Officer” means an officer appointed by the Government 

under sub-section (2) of section 3 and includes an officer empowered under the Act 
to perform the functions of a Settlement Officer; 

 
(n) “Union territory” means the Union territory of Puducherry; and 
 
(o) “zone” means a local area comprising one or more Communes or 

portions thereof which in the opinion of the Settlement Officer are contiguous and 
homogeneous in respect of soil characteristics, physical configuration, yield of 
principal crops, rainfall and other irrigation facilities. 
 
________________________________________________________________________ 
* Inserted vide Act No.5 of 2006 section 2,  w.e.f 30.10.2006. 
 



 478

CHAPTER II 
 

OFFICERS, THEIR POWERS, DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS 
 

Director and Settlement Officers 
 

3. (1) The Government may appoint a Director to carry out the settlement 
operations and to perform the duties and discharge the functions assigned to him 
by or under this Act. 

 
(2) The Government may appoint one or more Settlement Officers to perform 

the duties and discharge the functions assigned to them by or under this Act. 
 
(3) Every Settlement Officer shall be subordinate to the Director who shall 

have power to cancel or revise any of the orders, acts or proceedings of the 
Settlement Officer. 

 
Power to take evidence on oath, etc. 

 
4. The Director and the Settlement Officer shall, for the purposes of this Act, 

have the same powers as are vested in a Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 
1908 (5 of 1908) while trying a suit, in respect of the following matters, namely: - 

 
     (i) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and  
          examining him on oath; 
 
    (ii) requiring the discovery and production of document; 
 
    (iii) receiving evidence on affidavit; 

 
    (iv) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or for local      
           investigation; 
 

and any proceeding before the Director or the Settlement Officer shall be deemed to 
be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 of the Indian 
Penal Code (45 of 1860) and for the purposes of section 196, of the said Code. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 479

 
Power to enter upon land 

 
5. The Director, Settlement Officer or any of the subordinates of such officers 

may enter upon any land with such other officers and persons as he considers 
necessary and make a survey and take measurements thereof or do any other act 
which he considers necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act: 

 
Provided that no person shall enter into any land, building or upon any 

closed court or garden attached to a dwelling house unless with the consent of the 
occupier thereof, without giving such occupier at least twenty- four hours notice 
and in making such entry due regard shall be had to the special and religious 
sentiments of the occupier. 

 
CHAPTER III 

 
SETTLEMENT AND ASSESSMENT 

 
Settlement and resettlement 

 
6. (1) The Government may, at any time, direct a settlement in respect of any 

land for which survey operations have been taken up under the provisions of the 
Puducherry Survey and Boundaries Act, 1967 (Act No. 8 of 1967). 

 
     (2) The Government may also direct at any time a fresh settlement 

(hereinafter referred to as resettlement) of the assessment of such land: 
 
Provided that no enhancement of assessment shall take effect before the 

expiration of the settlement for the time being in force. 
 

Determination of assessment 
 

7. (1) The assessment on all lands in respect of which a settlement or 
resettlement has been directed under section 6 shall be determined by dividing the 
land to be settled into groups and sub-dividing each group into classes and fixing 
the rates for each group or class, as the case may be. 

 
(2) The groups and classes shall ordinarily be formed on a consideration of 

the following factors, namely: - 
 
    (a) soil and physical configuration; 
    (b) yield of principal crops and their prices; 
    (c) facilities of irrigation and rainfall: 



 480

 
Provided that, if deemed necessary, the following additional factors may also 

be taken into consideration for forming groups or classes, namely: -- 
 

     (a) marketing facilities; 
 
     (b) agricultural resources; 
 
     (c) communications; 
 
    (d) population and supply of labour; 
 
     (e) wages and ordinary expenses for cultivation of principal crops; and 
 
     (f) sale value of lands used for agriculture. 
 
(3) The assessment of individual survey numbers and sub-divisions shall be 

based on the rates fixed for the respective groups and classes. 
 

Manner of making settlement or resettlement 
 

8. (1) In making a settlement or resettlement, the Settlement Officer shall— 
 
(a) divide the lands to be settled into groups and classes; and 
(b) fix the rates of assessment for each group or class. 

 
(2) Before lands are divided or rates fixed under sub-section (1), the 

Settlement Officer shall hold such enquiry as he considers necessary for the purpose 
and in such manner as may be prescribed. 

 
(3) In fixing the rates according to sub-section (1), regard shall be had to the 

cost of agricultural land, to the profits of agriculture, consideration paid for leases, 
sale prices of land and the principal moneys on mortgages, and in the case of non-
agricultural land to the value of the land for the purposes for which it is held. 

 
(4) The settlement Officer shall submit to the Government through the 

Director a report (hereinafter referred to as the Scheme Report) containing 
proposals for settlement in respect of each zone. 

 
(5) The Government shall, after considering the scheme Report and the 

comments thereon, if any, of the Director, approve the Scheme Report with or 
without modification. 
 



 481

(6) No Scheme Report approved by the Government under subsection (5), 
shall be brought into force unless it has been laid before the Legislative Assembly of 
Puducherry and has been approved by a resolution of that Assembly either with or 
without modification, but upon such approval being given, the Scheme Report shall 
be published in the Official Gazette in the form in which it has been so approved. 

 
(7) The Government, while publishing the Scheme Report under  

sub-section (6), shall also specify the fasli from which the settlement covered by the 
Scheme Report shall be introduced by Settlement Officer. 

 
Term of settlement and reduction, suspension or remission of 

assessment 
 

9. (1) A settlement introduced under section 8 shall remain in force for a 
period of thirty years: 

 
Provided that, when, in the opinion of the Government, a fresh settlement at 

the expiration of thirty years is inexpedient or has for any cause been delayed, the 
Government may extend the term of the settlement for the time being in force for 
such period as it may think fit. 

 
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Government 

may, in accordance with general or special orders made in this behalf, grant 
reduction, suspension or remission in whole or in part of the assessment in any area 
in any year due to failure of crops, floods, or any other natural calamity or any 
reason whatsoever. 

 
Registration of porambokes 

 
10. All lands at the disposal of the Government and all Government lands 

which are in the possession and enjoyment of the Communes on the date of 
commencement of this Act and which are used or which may be required for 
communal, public or Government purposes shall be registered as porambokes 
during the settlement: 

 
Provided that such of the Government lands, as are at the disposal of the 

Communes for remunerative purposes and assessed to land tax before the 
commencement of this Act shall be registered in the holding of the respective 
Communes on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed. 
 
 
 
 



 482

 
Liability for payment of assessment to Government 

 
11. Every registered holder shall, for each fasli commencing from the fasli in 

which settlement is introduced, be primarily liable to pay to the Government in 
respect of all lands included in his holding, the assessment fixed under this Act: 

 
Provided that the payment of assessment under this section shall not affect 

any right or obligation of religious, charitable or educational institutions in respect 
of manyam lands. 

 
Power to impose additional assessment or levy on trees 

 
12. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Government may, at 

any time during the settlement for the time being in force,- 
 
     (a) impose additional assessment, not exceeding twice the amount of 

highest wet rate of assessment in force, for additional advantages accruing to any 
land on which wet crops are or may hereafter be raised, from water received on 
account of execution of fresh irrigation works or improvements effected by the 
Government in existing irrigation works completed after the introduction of the 
settlement, or by intercepting surface rain water or water flowing to any recognised 
source of irrigation; 

 
    (b) impose whatever additional assessment or ground rent on all sites of 

buildings and the appurtenances thereto situated within the limits of Municipal 
towns and other areas declared as towns by a notification and on all lands used for 
non-agricultural purposes, whether built upon or not, similarly situated, at a 
specified rate not exceeding Rs.62.50 P. per hectare for the purpose. 

 
     (c) impose a levy on all fruit bearing trees standing on porambokes, waste 

and other lands at the disposal of the Government, at a rate not exceeding Rs.10 per 
tree, such levy being payable to the Government by persons who enjoy the benefits 
arising out of such trees. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 483

CHAPTER IV 
 

LAND RECORDS 
 

Settlement Register and Register of Rights 
 

13. (1) The Settlement Officer shall, for every village or for every such local 
area as may be specified in this behalf by the Government by a notification, 
prepare:-- 

 
     (a) a Settlement Register; and 
 
     (b) a Register of Rights, showing the consolidation of all the lands in the 

village or local area, holding-wise. 
  
(2) The Settlement Register and the Register of Rights shall be prepared on 

the basis of survey records in such language and in such form and manner as may 
be prescribed and shall include the following particulars: 

 
     (i) survey number and subdivision of the land; 
     (ii) the extent of land and assessment due thereon; 
     (iii) the name of the registered holder; 
     (iv) the name of the tenant, if any, cultivating the land; and 
     (v) such other particulars as may be prescribed. 
 

Procedure for finalisation of the Register of Rights 
 

14. (1) As soon as may be after the completion of the preparation of the 
Register of Rights for each village or local area, the Settlement Officer shall send to 
every person whose name is entered in the said register an extract of the entries 
relating to him and inform him of the date on or before which he should file his 
objections, if any, with the officer specified in this behalf by the Settlement Officer 
and such date shall also be published by notification and in such manner as may be 
prescribed. 

 
(2) Any person aggrieved by the entries in the Register of Rights either on the 

ground that the entry in respect of particulars relating to him is incorrect or on the 
ground that his name or other particulars relating to the land which has been let for 
cultivation and in which he has interest either as registered holder or tenant have 
been omitted to be included in the said Register may file his objections containing 
such particulars as may be prescribed and shall be accompanied by the documents 
relied on by the objector as evidence in support of his claim. 



 484

(3) On the expiry of the period allowed for filing objections, the Settlement 
Officer shall: 

 
     (i) if no objection has been filed with him, finalise the Register of Rights 

after making such enquiry as he deems fit in the village or local area concerned; or 
    (ii) if objections have been received by him, fix a date for enquiry and 

enquire into the objections after giving sufficient notice to the objectors and other 
persons interested and pass such order as he deems fit together with brief reasons 
therefor, and finalise the Register of Rights after making alterations, if necessary, on 
the basis of orders passed by him. 

 
(4) The enquiry under sub-section (3) shall be conducted in such manner as 

may be prescribed. 
 

Publication of approved Register of Rights and revision of Settlement 
Register 

 
15. (1) As soon as may be after the finalisation of the Register of Rights, the 

Settlement Officer shall publish it in the manner prescribed and the Register so 
published shall be called the approved Register of Rights. 

 
(2) The Settlement Officer shall revise the Settlement Register on the basis of 

the approved Register of Rights. 
 
(3) The extract of the relevant entries of the approved Register of Rights, duly 

certified by the prescribed authority, shall be admissible in evidence before any 
court or tribunal. 

 
Modification or inclusion in the approved Register of Rights 

 
16. (1) Where any person claims that in respect of any land already included 

in the approved Register of Rights any modification is required in respect of the 
entries in the said register, either by reason of death of any person or by reason of 
transfer of interest or by reason of any other subsequent change in the holding, he 
shall apply to such officer as may be specified in this behall by the Collector, for 
modification of the relevant entries in the approved Register of Rights. 

 
(2) An application under sub-section (1) shall contain such particulars as may 

be prescribed and shall be accompanied by documents relied on by the applicant as 
evidence in support of his claim. 

(3) The officer specified under sub-section (1) shall, after following such 
procedure as may be prescribed and after giving the person or person interested in 
the land to which the particular entry relates an opportunity of being heard, pass 



 485

such orders as he deems fit, either rejecting or allowing the claims made in the 
application and in the event of the claim being allowed the Register of Rights shall 
be modified accordingly. 

 
(4) Every order passed under sub-section (3) shall contain brief reasons 

therefor. 
Person acquiring by succession etc., to furnish information 

 
17. (1) Any person acquiring by succession, survivorship inheritance, 

partition, purchase, gift, mortgage, lease or otherwise any right in a land or where 
such person acquiring the right is a minor or otherwise disqualified, his guardian or 
other person having charge of his property shall report in writing his acquisition of 
such right to such officer as may be specified in this behalf by the Collector, within 
three months from the date of such acquisition and the said officer shall at once give 
a written acknowledgement of the receipt of the report to the person making it: 

 
Provided that any person acquiring the right by virtue of a registered 

document shall be exempted from the obligation to report to the said officer. 
 
(2) Any person who fails to make a report as required by sub-section (1) shall 

be liable to pay such penalty not exceeding twenty-five rupees as may be fixed by 
the Collector and the amount payable as penalty shall be recoverable as an arrear of 
land revenue: 

 
Provided that no penalty shall be imposed under this sub-section without 

giving to the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard. 
 

Procedure on acquisition of right through documents registered 
 

18. No document by virtue of which any person acquires a right in any land 
as registered holder, occupant, owner, mortgagee, lessee or tenant or assignee, of 
the rent or revenue thereunder shall be registered under the Indian Registration 
Act, 1908 (12 of 1908), unless the person liable to pay the registration fees also pays 
to the Registering authority such fees as may be prescribed for making the 
necessary entries in the approved Register of Rights and other connected registers 
and on the registration of such document the registering authority shall make a 
report of the acquisition of the right to the officer specified by the Collector under 
sub-section (1) of section 17 in the manner prescribed. 
 

Register of Mutations 
 

19. (1) There shall be maintained for every village a Register of mutations in 
such form as may be prescribed. 



 486

 
      (2) On receipt of a report under sub-section (1) of section 17 or under 

section 18, the officer specified by the Collector under sub-section (1) of section 17 
shall correct the entries in the approved Register of Rights after making such 
enquiries as are necessary, and after hearing objections, if any. Any such correction 
made shall be communicated by the said officer to all persons who from the 
Register of Rights or the Register of Mutations appear to be interested in the 
mutation and to any other person whom the said officer has reason to believe to be 
interested therein. 

 
     (3) The entries effected in the approved Register of Rights in accordance 

with sub-section (2) shall be tested and certified by such officer as may be specified 
by the Collector in this behalf. 

 
Certified copies 

 
20. Certified copies of extracts or entries in the approved Register of Rights 

and the Settlement Register may be granted to any person interested therein by 
such officer and on payment of such fees as may be prescribed. 

 
Appeal 

 
21. (1) Any person aggrieved by any order made under this Act may appeal, 
 
     (i) if such order is made under clause (ii) of sub-section (3) of section 14, to 

the Director; and 
 
     (ii) if such order is made under sub-section (3) of section 16 or in the case 

of a correction made under sub-section (2) of section 19, to the Collector. 
 
     (2) Every appeal under sub-section (1) shall be preferred within thirty 

days of the date of receipt of order appealed against and the Director or the 
Collector, as the case may be, after giving the parties concerned an opportunity of 
being heard, pass such order as he deems fit. 

 
     (3) Every order, made by the Director or the Collector shall, subject to 

section 22, be final. 
 

Revision 
22. *[The Secretary may, of his own motion or on the application of any 

person affected, call for and examine the record of the appellate authority in respect 
of any proceedings under section 21 and pass such order as he may deem fit: 



 487

Provided that the Secretary shall not pass any order prejudicial to any person 
unless he has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard]. 
 
[**] 

 
CHAPTER V 

MISCELLANEOUS 
 

Correction of mistakes in records 
23. (1) The Director or the Settlement Officer may either of his own motion or 

on the application of any person:- 
     (a) if he is satisfied that a bona fide mistake has been made in regard to 

any decision or proceedings under this Act, make or cause to be made the necessary 
correction thereon; 

     (b) at any time correct or cause to be corrected any clerical or arithmetical 
mistake in any such decision or proceeding. 

 
(2) The Collector may, at any time during the currency of the settlement, 

correct any error in the area or assessment of any Survey number or sub-division 
due to a mistake of survey or arithmetical miscalculation: 

 
Provided that no arrears of land revenue accruing to the Government or 

refund thereof to the registered holder shall become payable by reason of such 
correction. 

Delegation of powers 
24. The Government may, by notification, direct that any power or function 

exercisable by the Settlement Officer under this Act or the rules made thereunder 
shall, in relation to such matters and subject to such conditions as may be specified 
in such notification, be exercisable also by such other officer as may be specified in 
such notification. 

 
________________________________________________________________________ 
* Substituted vide Act No.5 of 2006, section 3, w.e.f 30.10.2006. 
** Section 4 of Act No. 5 of 2006 reads as follows:-  
Transitory provisions:- 
 “4. Notwithstanding anything contained in section 22 of the principal Act, any revision preferred thereunder and 
pending at the commencement of this Act, shall after such commencement, be transferred to and disposed of by the officer or 
authority who has jurisdiction to entertain such revision, as if it had been in force on the date on which such revision was 
preferred.”    

 
 
 
 
 
 



 488

 
Bar of suits in Civil Courts 

 
25. (1) No suit shall lie in any civil court to set aside or modify any 

assessment made under this Act. 
 
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the decision of any authority or 

officer under this Act shall be final and no civil court shall have jurisdiction to 
decide or deal with any question which by or under this Act is required to be 
decided or dealt with by the authorities or officers under this Act. 

 
Protection of action taken in good faith 

 
26. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against the 

Government, the Director, the Settlement Officer, or any other officer empowered 
by or under this Act for anything which is, in good faith done or intended to be 
done in pursuance of this Act or any rule or order made thereunder. 

 
Power to make rules 

27. (1) The Government may make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act. 
     (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing 

power such rules may provide for:- 
 
(a) the manner of holding enquiry under sub-section (2) of section 8. 
 
(b) the terms and conditions subject to which the lands in the holding of the 

communes shall be registered under section 10; 
 
(c) the language, form and the manner in which the records shall be prepared 

and such other particulars which the record shall contain under sub-section (2) of 
section 13; 

 
(d) the manner in which the notification under sub-section (1) of section 14 

shall be published; 
 
(e) the particulars to be given while filing the objections under sub-section (2) 

of section 14; 
 
(f) the manner of conducting enquiry under sub-section (4) of section 14; 

 
 
 



 489

(g) the manner in which the Register of Rights shall be published 
under sub-section (1) of section 15; 

 
(h) the particulars to be given in an application under subsection (2) of 

section 16; 
 
(i) the procedure to be followed by the officer under subsection (3) of 

section 16; 
 
(j) the fees to be paid for making entries in the approved Register of 

Rights and the manner in which the report shall be made by the registering 
authority under section 18. 

 
(k) the form of the Register of Mutations under sub-section (1) of 

section 19. 
 
(1) the officer by whom and the fees on payment of which certified 

copies may be granted under section 20; and 
 
(m) any other matter which under this Act is to be, or may be, 

prescribed. 
 

(3) All rules made under this Act, shall, as soon as may be after they are 
made, be laid before the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry while it is in session for 
a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two or 
more successive sessions, and if before the expiry of the session in which it is so 
laid, or the sessions aforesaid, the Legislative Assembly makes any modification in 
the rule or decides that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have 
effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, 
that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity 
of anything previously done under that rule. 

 
Amendment to Act 8 of 1967 

28. In the Puducherry Survey and Boundaries Act, 1967(Act 8 of 1967), 
Chapter III (sections 15 to 23 both inclusive) shall be deleted. 

 
Certain assessments to continue 

29. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act all assessment rates in 
force at the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to have been determined 
and introduced in accordance with the provisions of this Act and shall remain in 
force until the introduction of assessment rates under this Act and such rates may 
be introduced at any time after the commencement of this Act. 
 



 490

 
Repeal and savings 

 
30. (1) As from the date of commencement of this Act, all laws in force in the 

Union territory including the Deliberations dated 13th November, 1910 and 11th 
December, 1912, the Decree dated 27th June, 1912 and the Arrete dated 21st 
January, 1910, in so far as they make provisions for matters concerned by this Act, 
shall stand repealed. 

 
(2) The repeal by sub-section (1) shall not affect:- 
 
     (a) the previous operation of any such law or anything duly done or 

suffered thereunder; or 
    (b) any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or incurred 

under any such law; or 
    (c) any fine, penalty, forfeiture or punishment incurred in respect of any 

offence committed against any such law; or 
     (d) any investigation, legal proceeding or remedy in respect of any such 

right, privilege, obligation, liability, fine, penalty, forfeiture or punishment as 
aforesaid; 

 
and any such investigation, legal proceeding or remedy may be instituted, 
continued or enforced and any such fine, penalty, forfeiture or punishment may be 
imposed as if this section had not been in force. 
 

(3) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), anything done or any action 
taken, including any appointment made, notification, order, instruction or direction 
issued or any rule or form framed under any such law shall be deemed to have 
been done or taken under this Act and shall continue to have effect accordingly, 
unless and until superseded by anything done or any action taken under this Act. 

 
Power to remove difficulty 

 
31. If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of the Act, the 

Government may, by general or special order, do anything not inconsistent with 
such provisions which appear to the Government to be necessary for the purpose of 
removing the difficulty: 

 
Provided that no such order shall be made under the section after the 

expiration of two years from the publication of this Act in the Official Gazette. 
 

_______ 
 



 491

 
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS FOR ACT 28 OF 1970 

 
A system of Land Tax, Land Records and classification operations of land are 

governed in this Union territory by the following Deliberations and Arrete:- 
 
Deliberations dated 9th December, 1909 relevant to the Survey of Puducherry. 

 
Deliberations dated 13th November 1910 relevant to the Land Tax in the 

Puducherry Settlements. 
 
Decree dated 27-6-1912 approving these Deliberations up to 31-12-1913. 
 
Arrete dated 21-1-1910 on the Survey classification operation of land, and 

finally adopted the provisions of substance of the Deliberations dated 11- 
12-1912. 
 

According to the substance and provisions of the Deliberations referred to, 
the land tax was being fixed once in ten years by a Commission set up for this 
purpose. Reclassification operations under the French law are already overdue. The 
working group of Land Reforms had also considered it necessary to have a 
classification of soil and the rate of assessment fixed. 

 
The Survey of Puducherry has been undertaken under the provisions of the 

Puducherry Survey and Boundaries Act, 1967 (8 of 1967). Revenue follow-up is 
essential and consequently Settlement operations ensue. The existing Land Records 
maintained do not reflect the actual state of agricultural structure and other 
economic conditions since there had been no fixity of tenures and no regular agency 
to make the records up-to-date. 

 
At the instance of the Government of India a chapter comprising of sections 

15 to 23 on Land Records was adopted in the Puducherry Survey and Boundaries 
Act, 1967. The provisions of the third chapter followed the pattern of the Tripura 
State, and they are now found to be not suitable to this Union territory, where the 
tenure and custom is different from that of the Tripura State. This chapter, is now 
sought to be deleted and appropriate provisions for the preparation of Land 
Records are sought to be made in this Bill. In order to introduced a uniform system 
of Revenue Administration on the lines obtainable in the surrounding areas of 
Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, and to have a classified records with up-
to-date details and, 
 
 
 



 492

basic date of all agricultural lands, etc., which are an essential prerequisite for 
implementing the various plan outlays and reformatory measures in accordance 
with the avowed policy of the Government of India in this regard, preparation of a 
settled account at the village level based on the survey records prepared under Act 
8 of 1967 is found absolutely necessary. 
 

The present Bill gives effect to the above proposals. 
 

_______ 
 
 

STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS FOR ACT 5 OF 2006 
 

By virtue of section 22 of the Puducherry Settlement Act, 1970, the 
Government exercises the revisional authority of its own motion or on the 
application of any person affected by the Orders of the Appellate Authority in 
respect of any proceedings under section 21 of the Act, Now, it is proposed to 
confer this revisional powers to the Secretary to the Government of Pondicherry 
(Revenue and Disaster Management) and to provide for amendments accordingly 
to section 2 and 22 of the Act. It is also proposed to provide for consequential 
transitory provisions. 

 
The Bill seeks to achieve the above objects. 
 
 

_______