The Punjab Land Reforms Act, 1972

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB 

 

DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS 

 

THE PUNJAB LAND REFORMS ACT, 1972 

 

(PUNJAB ACT 10 OF 1973) 

(As amended upto the 15th August, 2025) 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

2025 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



THE PUNJAB LAND REFORMS ACT, 1972 

CONTENTS 

Preamble  

Sections 

1. Short title, extent and commencement 

 

CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY             

2. Declarations as to giving effect to certain directive principles 

3. Definitions 

CHAPTER II 

CEILING ON LAND 

4. Permissible area 

5. Selection of permissible area and furnishing of declaration by 

certain persons 

6. Collection of information in case declaration is not furnished 

7. Determination of permissible and surplus area 

8. Vesting of unutilized surplus area in the State Government  

9. Power to take possession of surplus area 

10. Amount payable for the surplus area 

11. Disposal of surplus area 

12. Bar on future acquisition of land in excess of permissible area 

13. Power to separate share of landowners in joint lands 

14. Exemption of lands belonging to religious or charitable 

institutions  

CHAPTER III 

MISCELLANEOUS 

15. Saving of certain rights of tenants to purchase land 

16. Summary eviction and fine 

17. Abrogation of pending decrees, orders and notices 

18. Appeal, review and revision 

19. Correction of clerical errors 

20. Court fees 

21. Bar of Jurisdiction 

22. Indemnity 

23. Penalty for making false statements 

24. Mode of recovery 

 



25. Power to remove difficulties 

26. Power to make rules 

27. Exemption of certain lands from the operation of the Act 

28. Repeal and Saving 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



1THE PUNJAB LAND REFORMS ACT, 1972 

(Punjab Act No. 10 of 1973) 

   [Received the assent of the President of India on the 24th 

March, 1973 and was first published for general information in 

the Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Legislative 

Supplement, dated the 2nd April, 1973.]  

1 2 3 4 

Year No. Short Title Whether repealed or 

otherwise affected by the 

legislation  

1973 10 The Punjab 

Land Reforms 

Act, 1972 

 

2 Amended by Punjab Act 

No. 40 of 1973 
3 Amended by Punjab Act 

No. 22 of 1976 

Amended by Punjab Act 

No. 32 of 2011 

Amended by Punjab Act 

No. 15 of 2014 

Amended by Punjab Act 

No. 19 of 2017 

An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to ceiling on 

land holdings, acquisition of proprietary rights by tenants and 

other ancillary matters in the State of Punjab.  

BE it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the 

Twenty-third Year of the Republic of India as follows: -  

1. (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Land Reforms Act, 

1972. 

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Punjab. 

(3) It shall come into force at once. 

 

 
                                                             
1 For Statement of Objects and Reasons. see Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), 

1972, Page 1471 
2 For Statement of Objects and Reasons. see Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), 

dated the 21st September, 1973, Page 919 
3 For Statement of Objects and Reasons. see Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), 

dated the 30th February, 1976, Page 230 

Short title, extent 
and 
commencement. 



CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY 

2. It is hereby declared that this Act is for giving effect to the 

policy of the State towards securing the principles specified in 

clauses (b) and (c) of Article 39 of the Constitution of India. 

3. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, — 

(1)  "appointed day" means the twenty-fourth day of 

January, 1971; 

(2) "banjar land" means land which has remained 

uncultivated for a continuous period of not less than 

four years immediately preceding the date on which the 

question whether such land is banjar or not arises; 

(3)  "Collector" means the Collector of the district or any 

officer not below the rank of Assistant Collector of the 

first grade empowered in this behalf by the State 

Government;  

(4)  "family" in relation to a person means the person, the 

wife or husband, as the case may be, of such person and 

his or her minor children, other than a married minor 

daughter;  

(5)  "land" means land which is not occupied as the site of 

any building in a town or village and is occupied or has 

been let for agricultural purposes or for purposes 

subservient to agriculture, or for pasture, and includes 

(a) the sites of buildings, and other structures on 

such land; and 

  (b) banjar land; 

(6)  "landowner" shall have the meaning assigned to it in 

the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 (Punjab Act XVII 

of 1887); 

Declaration as to 

giving effect to 

certain directive 

principles.  

Definitions. 



Explanation, In respect of land mortgaged with 

possession, the mortgagee shall be deemed to be the 

landowner; 

(7)  "minor" means a person who has not completed the 

age of eighteen years; 

(8)   "orchard" means a compact area of land having fruit 

bearing trees grown thereon in such number that they 

preclude, or when fully grown would preclude a 

substantial part of such land from being used for any 

other agricultural purpose 1[***]; 

(9)  "Pepsu law" means the Pepsu Tenancy and 

Agricultural Lands Act, 1955;  

(10)  "person" includes a company, family, association or 

other body of individuals, whether incorporated or 

not, and any institution capable of holding property; 

(11) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under 

this Act; 

(12) "Punjab law" means the Punjab Security of Land 

Tenures Act, 1953; 

2[(13) "self-cultivation" means cultivation by a landowner 

either personally or through any member of his family 

or through his brother, or through a servant or hired 

labour under the personal supervision of the 

landowner or supervision of a member of his family, 

subject to the condition that the servant or hired labour 

is paid wages in cash or in kind or partly in cash and 

partly in kind but not as a share of the produce;] 

3[(14)     ***];  

(15) "surplus area" means the area in excess of the 

permissible area;  

                                                             
1 Omitted by Punjab Act No. 19 of 2017, Section 2 
2 Substituted by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, Section 2 
3 Omitted by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, Section 2 



(16) "tenant" has the meaning assigned to it in the Punjab 

Tenancy Act, 1887 (Act XVI of 1887) and includes a 

sub-tenant, and self-cultivating lessee, but shall not 

include a present holder as defined in clause (f) of 

section 2 of the East Punjab Displaced Persons (Land 

Resettlement) Act, 1949 ; 

(17)  all other words and expressions used herein and not 

defined but defined in the Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887 

(Punjab Act XVI of 1887), or the Punjab Land 

Revenue Act, 1887 (Punjab Act XVII of 1887), shall 

have the meaning assigned to them in either of those 

Acts. 

CHAPTER II 

CEILING ON LAND 

4.  1[(1) Subject to the provisions of section 5, no person 

shall own or, hold land as landowner or mortgagee with 

possession or tenant or partly in one capacity and partly in 

another in excess of the permissible area.]  

(2)  'Permissible area' shall mean in respect of- 

(a) land under assured irrigation and capable of 

yielding at least two crops in a year (hereinafter in 

this Act referred to as 'the first quality land'), seven 

hectares; or  

(b) land under assured irrigation for only one crop in a 

year, eleven hectares; or  

(c) barani land, 20.5 hectares; or  

(d) land of other classes including banjar land, an area 

to be determined according to the prescribed scale 

with reference to the intensity of irrigation, 

productivity and soil classification of such classes, 

having regard to the respective valuation and the 

permissible area of the classes of land mentioned at 

(a), (b) and (c) above 2[subject to the condition that 

                                                             
1 Substituted by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, Section 3 
2 Added by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, Section 3 

Permissible Area. 



the area so determined shall not exceed 21.8 

hectares]: 

Provided that— 

(i) where land consists of two or more classes, the 

permissible area shall be determined on the basis of 

relative valuation of such classes of land, subject to the 

condition that it does not exceed 21.8 hectares; 

(ii) where the number of members of a family exceeds five, 

the permissible area shall be increased by one-fifth of the 

permissible area for each member in excess of five, 

subject to the condition that additional land shall be 

allowed for not more than three such members. 

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), 

where any land is comprised in an orchard 1[on the appointed day] such 

land shall, for the purpose of determining the permissible area, be 

treated as barani land.  

2[(4)     (a) Where a person is a member of a registered co-

operative farming society, his share in the land 

held by such society together with his other 

land, if any, or if such person is a member of a 

family, together with the land held by every 

member of the family shall be taken into 

account for determining the permissible area; 

(b) where a person is a member of a family, the 

land held by such person together with the land 

held by every other member of the family, 

whether individually or jointly, shall be taken 

into account for determining the permissible 

area.] 

(5) In determining the permissible area, any land which 

was transferred by sale, gift or otherwise, other than a bona fide 

sale or transfer, after the appointed day but before the 

commencement of this Act, shall be taken into account as if such 

                                                             
1 Substituted for words “at the commencement of this Act” by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, 

Section 3 
2 Substituted by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, Section 3 



land had not been transferred and the onus of proving the transfer 

as bona fide shall be on the transferor. 

(6) For the purpose of valuation of land one and quarter 

hectares of banjar land shall be treated as equivalent in value to one 

hectare of barani land. 

(7)  For evaluating the land of any person at any time 

under this Act, the land owned by him immediately before the 

commencement of this Act as well as the land acquired by him 

after such commencement by inheritance, bequest or gift from a 

person to whom he is an heir shall be evaluated as if the evaluation 

was being made on the appointed day and the land acquired by him 

after such commencement in any other manner shall be evaluated 

as if the evaluation was being made on the date of such acquisition. 

5. 1[(1) Every person, who on the appointed day or at any time 

thereafter, owns or hold land as landowner or mortgagee with 

possession or  tenant or partly in one capacity and partly in another 

in excess of the permissible area, shall select his permissible area 

and intimate his selection to the Collector, and where land is situate 

in more than one district, to the Collectors concerned, through a 

declaration, to be furnished in such form and manner and within 

such period, as may be prescribed and if such person has an adult 

son or adult daughter, he shall also be entitled to select separate 

permissible area in respect of each such son or daughter, as the 

case may be, out of the land owned or held by him, subject to the 

condition that the land so selected together with the land already 

owned or held by such son or daughter, shall not exceed the 

permissible area of each such son or daughter: 

Provided that where land is situated in more than one patwar 

circle, the declaration shall be supported by an affidavit in the 

prescribed form.] 

(2) In making the selection, such a person shall include, 

firstly, land mortgaged without possession and, secondly, land under 

self-cultivation on the date of commencement of the period prescribed 

for furnishing the declaration under sub-section (1), but shall not include 

area declared surplus under the Punjab law, the Pepsu law or this Act, 

                                                             
1 Substituted by Punjab Act No. 15 of 2014, Section 2 

Selection of 

permissible area and 

furnishing of 

declaration buy 

certain persons. 



other than the area which was exempt from utilization by the State 

Government immediately before such commencement. 

6. If any person fails to furnish the declaration in accordance with 

the provisions of section 5, the Collector shall obtain the requisite 

information in the prescribed manner. 

7. (1) On the basis of the information given in the declaration 

furnished under section 5 or the information obtained under section 6, as 

the case may be, and after making such inquiry as he may deem fit, the 

Collector shall, by an order, determine the permissible area and the 

surplus area of a landowner or a tenant, as the case may be. 

1[(2)  If any person referred to in sub-section (1) of section 5 

fails to furnish the declaration or files a declaration containing 

information which is false or which he knows or has reason to believe to 

be false or which he does not believe to be true, he shall be punishable 

with imprisonment which may extend to two years, or with fine which 

may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both.]  

2[(3) *******] 

(4) For the purpose of determining the surplus area of any 

person,- 

(i)  any judgement, decree or order of a court or other 

authority obtained 3 [on or after the appointed day] and 

having the effect of diminishing the surplus area of such a 

person; 

(ii)  a tenancy created 14[on or after the appointed day] in any 

land which has been or could have been declared as 

surplus area of such a person under the Punjab law, the 

Pepsu law or this Act; 

shall be ignored. 

8.  Notwithstanding anything contained in any law, custom or 

usage for the time being in force, but subject to the provisions of 

section 15, the surplus area, declared as such under the Punjab law 

or the Pepsu law, which has not been utilized till the 

                                                             
1 Substituted by Punjab Act No. 22 of 1976, Section 2 
2 Omitted by Punjab Act No. 22 of 1976, Section 2 
3 Substituted for words “after the commencement of this Act” by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, 

Section 5 

Vesting of unutilized 

surplus area in the 

State Government. 

Determination of 

permissible and 

surplus areas. 

Collection of 

information in case 

declaration is not 

furnished.  

 



commencement of this Act and the surplus area declared as such 

under this Act shall, on the date on which possession thereof is 

taken by or on behalf of the State Government, vest in the State 

Government free from all encumbrances and in the case of surplus 

area of a tenant, which is included within the permissible area of 

the landowner, the right and interest of the tenant in such area shall 

stand terminated on the aforesaid date : 

  Provided that where any land falling within the surplus area 

is mortgaged with possession, only the mortgagee rights shall vest 

in the State Government. 

9.  (1)  The Collector may, by an order in writing, after an 

area has become surplus under the Punjab law or the Pepsu law or 

becomes surplus under this Act, direct the landowner or tenant or 

any other person in possession of such area to deliver possession 

thereof, within ten days of the service of the order on him to such 

person as may be specified in the order. 

  (2) If the landowner or tenant or any other person in 

possession of such area refuses or fails without reasonable cause to 

comply with the order made under sub-section (1), the Collector 

may take possession of that area and may, for that purpose, use 

such force as may be necessary. 

10. (1) The Collector or the officer authorised by the State 

Government in this behalf shall determine the amount to be paid 

for the land which has vested in the State Government under 

section 8, in accordance with the principles hereinafter set out, that 

is to say- 

(i) for the first three hectares of land, twelve times 

the fair rent, subject to a maximum of five 

thousand rupees per hectare ; 

(ii)  for the next three hectares of land, nine times 

the fair rent, subject to a maximum of three 

thousand seven hundred and fifty rupees per 

hectare; and 

Power to 

take 
possession 

of surplus 
area. 

Amount 
payable for 

the surplus 

area. 



(iii)    for the remaining land, six times the fair rent, 

subject to a maximum of two thousand and five 

hundred rupees per hectare. 

Explanation. - For the purpose of this sub-section, 'fair rent' 

shall mean the value of one-fifth of the gross produce of the land 

determined in the prescribed manner by the Collector or the officer 

authorised in this behalf by the State Government. 

(2)  For the purposes of sub-section (1), the Collector or 

the officer authorised by the State Government shall prepare a 

statement in such form and manner as may be prescribed and shall, 

after following the prescribed procedure, apportion the amount 

amongst the persons, including tenants, having interests in the land. 

  (3)  Where in the suplus area of any person mortgagee 

rights have vested in the State Government, the amount payable to 

the mortgagee shall be the mortgage money due to the mortgagee, 

or the amount payable under this section, whichever is less. 

  (4)  The amount shall be payable either in lump sum or in 

half-yearly instalments not exceeding fifteen in the manner 

prescribed : 

  Provided that the amount shall be applied firstly to discharge 

Government dues, secondly to meet the claims of secured creditors 

and then to pay the dues of other claimants.  

11.  (1) The surplus area, which has vested in the State 

Government under section 8, shall be at the disposal of the State 

Government.  

(2) The State Government may, by notification in the 

Official Gazette, frame a scheme for utilizing the surplus area 

under the Punjab law, the Pepsu law or this Act by,— 

(a)  conferment of rights of ownership on tenants in 

respect of such land as is comprised in the 

surplus area of the landowner of such a tenant; 

and  

(b) allotment to tenants, members of Scheduled 

Castes and Backward Classes and landless 

Disposal of 

surplus area. 



agricultural workers, of an area not exceeding 

two hectares of the first quality land or 

equivalent area, provided that the total area held 

or owned by any such allottee, after the 

allotment, shall not exceed two hectares of the 

first quality land or equivalent area. 

  (3)  Any scheme framed by the State Government under 

sub-section (2) may provide for the terms and conditions on which 

the rights of ownership are to be conferred on the tenants and also 

the terms and conditions on which the land comprised in the 

surplus area is to be allotted.  

  (4) The State Government may, by notification in the 

Official Gazette, add to, amend, vary or revoke any scheme made 

under this section.  

  (5) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law 

for the time being in force and save in the case of land acquired by 

the State Government under any law for the time being in force or 

by an heir by inheritance, no transfer or other disposition of land 

which is comprised in the surplus area under the Punjab law, the 

Pepsu law or this Act, shall affect the vesting thereof in the State 

Government or its utilization under this Act. 

  (6) The utilization of any surplus area before the 

commencement of this Act will not affect the right of the tenant to 

purchase land in accordance with the provisions of section 15 or 

the right of the landowner to receive rent from the tenant settled on 

the surplus area till the tenant becomes the owner thereof. 

  (7)  Where succession has opened after the surplus area or 

any part thereof has been determined by the Collector, the saving 

specified in favour of an heir by inheritance under sub-section (5) 

shall not apply in respect of the area so determined. 

12. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law, 

custom, usage, contract or agreement, from and after the 

commencement of this Act, no person, whether as landowner or 

tenant, shall acquire or possess by transfer, exchange, lease, 

agreement or settlement any land, which with or without the land 

Bar on future 

acquisition of land 

in excess of 
permissible area. 



already owned or held by him, in the aggregate, exceeds the 

permissible area : 

Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to the land 

held by a cooperative society if the land owned or held by an 

individual member of the society, together with his share in the 

land held by such a society, does not exceed the permissible area.  

(2) Any transfer, exchange, lease, agreement or settlement 

made in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be 

null and void.  

13. (1) Where a person owns land jointly with other persons 

and his share of such land or part thereof has been or is to be 

declared as surplus area, the Collector, of his own motion, may, 

after summary enquiry and after affording to such a person an 

opportunity of being heard, separate his share of such land or part 

thereof in the land owned by him jointly with other persons. 

(2) Where, after the declaration of the surplus area of any 

person and before the utilization thereof, his land has been 

subjected to the process of consolidation, the Collector shall also 

be competent to separate the surplus area of such a person out of 

the area of land obtained by him after consolidation in the manner 

referred to in sub-section (1). 

14.  Notwithstanding any judgement, decree or order of any 

court or authority, the provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to 

lands belonging to any religious or charitable institution of a public 

nature in existence immediately before the date of commencement 

of this Act, but not belonging to the mahant, mohtamim or 

manager thereof: 

Provided that the exemption specified herein shall be 

admissible till such time only as the land or income therefrom is 

utilized for the specified purpose of such institution and shall not 

be admissible to the lessees of such lands. 

Explanation. - For the purpose of this section, 'religious or 

charitable institution' means- 

(i) a temple;  

Power to 

separate share 
of landowners 
in joint lands. 

Exemption of 
lands belonging 

to religious or 

charitable 
institutions. 



(ii)  a gurdwara ;  

(iii)  a gaushala;  

(iv)  a wakf as defined in clause (ii) of section 3 of 

the Wakf Act, 1954 (Act 29 of 1954) ; or 

(v) Any other religious place of public nature. 

CHAPTER III 

MISCELLANEOUS 

15. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, a 

tenant who was entitled to purchase the land comprised in his 

tenancy, under section 18 of the Punjab law or section 22 of the 

Pepsu law, as the case may be, immediately before the 

commencement of this Act, shall be entitled to purchase such land 

from the landowner on the same terms and conditions, as were 

applicable immediately before such commencement: 

Provided that— 

(i)  the amount payable by the tenant for the land 

shall be equivalent to ninety times the land 

revenue (including rates and cesses) payable for 

such land or five hundred rupees per hectare, 

whichever is less ; and 

(ii)  the procedure for purchase of such land shall be 

as is specified hereinafter and the period of 

limitation for exercise of such a right shall be 

one year from the date of commencement of 

this Act.  

  (2)  An application for the purchase of land under sub-

section (1) shall be made to the Assistant Collector of the first 

grade having jurisdiction who shall, after giving notice to the 

landowner and after making enquiry in the prescribed manner, 

determine the amount payable in respect thereof. 

  (3) The tenant may pay the amount determined under sub-

section (2) either in lump sum or in half-yearly instalments not 

exceeding fifteen in the manner prescribed. 

Saving of certain 

rights of tenants to 

purchase land. 



  (4)  On the payment of the entire amount or the first 

instalment thereof, as the case may be, the tenant shall be deemed 

to have become the owner of the land and the Assistant Collector 

shall, where the tenant is not already in possession of the land, put 

him in possession thereof, subject to the provisions of the Punjab 

Tenancy Act, 1887.  

  (5) If a default is committed in the payment of any of the 

instalments, the entire outstanding balance shall, on application by 

the person entitled to receive it, be recoverable as arrears of land 

revenue.  

  (6) If the land is subject to mortgage at the time of 

purchase, the land shall pass to the tenant unencumbered by the 

mortgage, but the mortgage amount shall be a charge on the 

purchase price.  

16. (1) Any person who is in wrongful or unauthorised 

possession of any land-- 

(a) the transfer of which either by the act of parties or by 

the operation of law is invalid under the provisions of 

this Act; or  

(b) to the use and occupation of which he is not entitled 

under the provisions of this Act;  

may, on an application made within a period of one year of 

such wrongful or unauthorised possession, and after summary 

enquiry, be ejected by the Collector, who may also impose on such 

person a penalty not exceeding one thousand rupees.  

(2) The Collector may direct that the whole or any part of 

the penalty imposed under sub-section (1) shall be paid to the 

person who has sustained any loss or damage by the wrongful or 

unauthorised possession of the land.  

17. No decree or order of any court or authority and no notice of 

ejectment shall be valid save to the extent to which it is consistent 

with the provisions of this Act. 

18. The provision in regard to appeal, review and revision under 

this Act shall, so far as may be, be the same as provided in sections 

Summary 
eviction and 
fine. 

Abrogation of 

pending decrees, 
orders and 
notices. 

Appeal, 

review and 
revision. 



80, 81, 82, 83 and 84 of the Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887 (Act XVI of 

1887). 

19.  Clerical and arithmetical mistakes in any order passed by 

any officer or authority under this Act or errors arising therein 

from any accidental slip or omission may at any time be corrected 

by such officer or authority either of his own motion or on an 

application received in this behalf from any of the parties.  

20. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Court-fees Act, 

1870 (VII of 1870), every application, appeal or other proceeding 

under this Act shall bear a court-fee stamp of such value as may be 

prescribed.  

21. (1) Save as provided by or under this Act, the validity of 

any proceedings or order taken or made under this Act shall not be 

called in question in any court or before any other authority. 

  (2)  No civil court shall have jurisdiction to entertain any 

suit, or proceed with any suit instituted after the appointed day, for 

specific performance of a contract for transfer of land which affects 

the right of the State Government to the surplus area under this 

Act. 

22. No suit or other legal proceedings shall lie against any 

authority in respect of anything done in good faith in pursuance of 

the provisions of this Act.   

23.  If, during the course of any proceedings under this Act, any 

person makes a declaration or a statement or furnishes any 

information which is false or which he knows or has reason to 

believe to be false or which he does not believe to be true, he shall 

be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to 1[two years, 

or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees] or with 

both.  

24.  Any amount payable under this Act including the amount of 

penalty imposed under this Act may be recovered as arrears of land 

revenue.  

                                                             
1 Substituted for words “six months or with fine which may extent to one thousand rupees” by 

Punjab Act No. 22 of 1976, Section 3 

Court-
fees. 

Bar of 

jurisdiction. 

Indemnity. 

Penalty for 
making false 

statements. 

Mode of 
recovery. 

Correction of 
clerical errors. 

 



25. If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of 

this Act, the State Government may, by order published in the 

Official Gazette, make such provision or give such directions not 

inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as appears to it to be 

necessary or expedient for removing such a difficulty.  

26. (1) The State Government may, by notification in the 

Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this 

Act.   

(2) Every rule made under this section shall be laid, as 

soon as may be after it is made, before the House of the State 

Legislature while it is in session for a total period of ten days 

which may be comprised in one session or two successive sessions, 

and if before expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the 

session immediately following, the House agrees in making any 

modification in the rule or the House agrees 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. 

27. The provisions of this Act shall not apply to - 

(a) lands owned by or vested in the State Government 

otherwise than under the provisions of this Act, or 

lands taken on lease by the State Government; 

(b)  lands belonging to or vested in a local authority or the 

Punjab Agricultural University or any corporation 

owned or controlled by the Central Government or the 

State Government; 

(c)  lands owned by or vested in or taken on lease by the 

Central Government; 

(d)  lands owned by the Bhoodan Yagna Board under the 

Punjab Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1955; and 

(e)  lands owned or held by an agricultural co-operative 

credit society, Land Mortgage Bank, the State or 

Central Co-operative Bank or any other bank; 

Power to remove 

difficulties. 

Power to make 
rules. 

Exemption of 

certain lands 

from the 

operation of the 

Act. 



1[(f)  lands owned by an educational institution, recognised 

by Government, which is engaged in the education 

and research in agricultural sciences and has been 

conducting such education and research on the 

appointed day; 

(g)  lands owned by an educational trust of public nature 

in existence on the appointed day:] 

Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to a 

lessee of any of the authorities or institutions referred to 

above. 

2[(h) land acquired by a person for non-agriculture purposes 

and falling (within the Municipal area as defined in 

clause (8-c) of section 3 of the Punjab Municipal Act, 

1911 (Punjab Act No. 3 of 1911) or the urban area as 

defined in clause (60) of section 2 of the Punjab 

Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 (Punjab Act No. 42 

of 1976); 

(i) land acquired by a person and put to non-agriculture 

use, or land in respect of which permission, wherever 

applicable, has been granted for its use for non-

agriculture purposes by the State Government;] and 

 3[(j) land not covered under clauses (h) and (i), acquired by 

a person for non-agriculture purposes such as housing, 

industrial, infrastructure projects, special economic 

zones (SEZ), tourism units (hotels and resorts), public 

utilities, warehousing, commercial, cultural, 

recreational, sports, religious, institutional: 

  Provided that where land is acquired for non-

agriculture purposes as per provisions of clauses (h), 

(i) or (j), such person would be required to intimate 

such intention of change of land use for non-

agriculture purposes to the Collector within one year 

from the date of publication of the Punjab Land 

                                                             
1 Added by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, Section 6 
2 Inserted by Punjab Act No. 32 of 2011, Section 2 
3 Substituted by Punjab Act No. 19 of 2017, Section 3 



Reforms (Amendment) Act, 2017 or within one year 

from the date of acquisition of such land and in such 

cases, the Collector, on receipt of such intimation, 

shall cause the necessary entries to be recorded in the 

revenue record to this effect. 

 Explanation, - For the purposes of clauses (h), (i) and 

(j) of this section- 

(i) where an agriculture activity is carried out 

primarily as an activity subservient to a non-

agriculture activity or purpose of such person, 

in such cases, such land shall be deemed to 

have been acquired for non-agriculture 

purposes; and 

(ii) a person intending to carry out any 

development on land covered under these 

clauses, shall be required to obtain necessary 

permission under the Punjab Regional and 

Town Planning and Development Act, 1995 or 

the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control 

Act, 1952, as may be applicable.]    

Explanation.—For the purposes of clause (e) "bank" 

means a banking company as defined in section 5 of the 

Banking Regulation Act, 1949, and includes the State Bank 

of India constituted under the State Bank of India Act, 1955, 

a subsidiary bank as defined in the State Bank of India 

(Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959, a corresponding new bank as 

defined in the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer 

of Undertakings) Act, 1970, and Agricultural Refinance 

Corporation constituted under the Agricultural Refinance 

Corporation Act, 1963.  

28.  (1)  The Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953 and 

the Pepsu Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1955, in so far as 

these are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 

repealed. 

 Repeal and saving. 

 



(2)  The repeal of the enactments mentioned in sub-section 

(1), hereinafter referred to as the said enactments, shall not affect— 

(i)  the proceedings for the determination of the 

surplus area pending immediately before the 

commencement of this Act, under either of the 

said enactments, which shall be continued and 

disposed of as if this Act had not been passed, 

and the surplus area so determined shall vest in, 

and be utilised by, the State Government in 

accordance with the provisions of this Act : 

Provided that such proceedings shall, as 

far as may be, be continued and disposed of, 

from the stage these were immediately before 

the commencement of this Act, in accordance 

with the procedure specified by or under this 

Act 1[and the cases pending before the Pepsu 

Land Commission immediately before the date 

of commencement of this Act shall stand 

transferred to the Collector of the district 

concerned for disposal]: 

Provided further that nothing in this 

section shall affect the determination and 

utilisation of the surplus area, other than the 

surplus area referred to above, in accordance 

with the provisions of this Act; 

(ii)  the previous operation of the said enactments or 

anything duly done or suffered thereunder;  

(iii) any right, privilege, obligation or liability 

acquired, accrued or incurred under the said 

enactments, in so far as such right, privilege, 

obligation or liability is not inconsistent with 

the provisions of this Act and any proceeding or 

remedy in respect of such right, privilege, 

obligation or liability may be instituted, 

                                                             
1 Added by Punjab Act No. 40 of 1973, Section 7 



continued or enforced as if this Act had not 

been passed: 

Provided that such proceeding or remedy 

shall, as far as may be, be instituted, continued 

or enforced in accordance with the procedure 

specified by or under this Act.