The Telangana Indebted Agriculturists, Landless Labourers and Artisans (Temporary Relief) Act, 1976.

THE TELANGANA INDEBTED AGRICULTURISTS, LANDLESS 
LABOURERS AND ARTISANS (TEMPORARY RELIEF) ACT, 1976. 

(ACT NO. 24 of 1976) 

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 

Sections 

1. Short title, extent, application and 
commencement. 

2. Definitions. 

3. Bar of suits and applications for recovery of debts. 

4. Stay of proceedings. 

5. Exclusion of time for limitation. 

6. Prohibition of sale of pledges. 

7. Effect of transfer of immovable property by debtor. 

8. Penalty for contravention of section 6. 

9. Act to override other laws, contracts, etc. 

10. Power to make rules. 

11. Repeal of Ordinance 8 of 1975. 

 



THE TELANGANA INDEBTED AGRICULTURISTS, 
LANDLESS LABOURERS AND ARTISANS (TEMPORARY 

RELIEF) ACT, 1976.1 
 

ACT No. 24 OF 1976. 
 
1. (1) This Act may be called the 2Telangana Indebted 
Agriculturists, Landless Labourers and Artisans (Temporary 
Relief) Act, 1976. 
 
 (2) It extends to the whole of the State of 2Telangana. 
 
 (3) It shall apply in relation to the recovery of all debts 
due on the date of commencement of this Act from any 
agriculturists, landless labourer or artisan, except the 
following debts, namely:- 
 
  (i) rent or compensation for the use and occupation 
of house property; 
 
  (ii) rent or compensation for the use and occupation 
of immovable property (not being house property or 
agricultural land) accrued due after the date of the 
commencement of this Act; 
 
  (iii) any liability arising out of a breach of trust; 
 
  (iv) any liability in respect of maintenance; 
 

                                                           
1. The Andhra Pradesh Indebted Agriculturists, Landless Labourers and 
Artisans (Temporary Relief) Act, 1976 received the assent of the 
President on 09.03.1976. The said Act in force in the combined State, as 
on 02.06.2014, has been adapted to the State of Telangana, under 
section 101 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (Central 
Act 6 of 2014) vide. the Telangana Adaptation of Laws Order,  2016, 
issued in G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016.  
2. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016.  

Short title, extent, 
application and 
commencement. 



2  [Act No.24 of 1976] 

  (v) any sum payable to the State or the Central 
Government or to any local authority, whether by way of 
revenue, tax, cess or loan or otherwise; 
 
  (vi) any sum payable to any co-operative society, 
including a land mortgage bank, registered or deemed to be 
registered under the 3Telangana Co-operative Societies Act, 
1964, provided that the right of Society to recover the sum 
did not arise by reason of any assignment made 
subsequent to the commencement of this Act; 
 
  (vii) any sum payable to,- 
 
    (a) any charitable or religious institution or 
endowment to which the provisions of the 4Andhra Pradesh 
Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and 
Endowments Act, 1966 applies; 
 
   (b) any wakf to which 5the Wakf Act, 1954 applies; 
whether by way of rent; either in cash or kind, loan or other 
dues; 
 
  (viii) any liability arising out of a breach of law relating 
to payment of wages or remuneration; 
 
  (ix) any liability in respect of any sum due to,- 
 
   (A) a banking company as defined in the Banking 
Regulation Act, 1949; 
 
   (B) the State Bank of India constituted under the 
State Bank of India Act, 1955; 

                                                           
3. Adapted by G.O.Ms.No.53, Agriculture and Cooperation (Coop-II) 
Department, dated 20.05.2016. 
4. See now the provisions of the Telangana Charitable and Hindu 
Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 (Act 30 of 1987). 
5. See now the Wakf Act, 1995 (Central Act 43 of 1995). 

Act 7 of 1964. 

Act 17 of 1966. 

Central Act 29 of 1954. 

Central Act 10 of 1949 

Central Act 23 of 1955 



[Act No.24 of 1976]  3 

   (C) any subsidiary bank as defined in clause (k) of 
section 2 of State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 
1959; 
 
   (D) any corresponding new bank as defined in 
clause (d) of section 2 of the Banking Companies 
(Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970; 
 
   (E) the Agricultural Refinance Corporation 
constituted under the Agricultural Refinance Corporation 
Act, 1963; 
 
   (F) any other financial institution notified by the 
State Government in the 6Telangana Gazette. 
 
 (4) Sections 6 and 8 shall come into force at once and 
the remaining provisions shall be deemed to have come into 
force on the 26th August, 1975. 
 
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires – 
 
 (a) „agricultural land‟ means land used for agriculture 
or horticulture, not being land appurtenant to a residential 
building; 
 
 (b) „agriculturist‟ means- 
 
  (i) in the case of persons other than the members of 
Scheduled Tribes, a person who hold, and personally 
cultivates agricultural land which does not exceed in extent 
one hectare if it is wet or two hectares if it is dry; 
 
  (ii) in the case of members of Scheduled Tribes, a 
person who holds and personally cultivates agricultural land 

                                                           
6. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016.  

Definitions. 

Central Act 38 of 1959 

Central Act 5 of 1970 

Central Act 10 of 1963 



4  [Act No.24 of 1976] 

which does not exceed in extent two hectares, if it is wet, or 
four hectares, if it is dry; 
 
 Explanation-I.- For the purposes of computing the 
extent of land under this clause, one hectare of wet land 
shall be equal to two hectares of dry land. 
 
 Explanation-II.- A person who was liable to be 
assessed to income tax under the Income Tax Act, 1961 in 
respect of his income in any two previous years within three 
previous years immediately preceding the date of 
commencement of this Act shall not be deemed to be an 
agriculturist. 
 
 For the purpose of this Explanation, the words 
„previous year‟ shall have the same meaning as that 
assigned to them in section 3 of the Income Tax Act, 1961; 
 
 (c) „artisan‟ means a person who does not hold any 
agricultural land and whose principal means of livelihood is 
production or repair of traditional tools, implements and 
other articles or things used for agriculture or purposes 
ancillary thereto and includes a person who normally earns 
his livelihood by practising a craft either by his own labour 
or by the labour of the members of his family in the rural 
area; 
 
 (d) „debt‟ means any sum of money which a person is 
liable to pay under a contract (express or implied) for 
consideration received being less than rupees one 
thousand not secured by any charge on agricultural land or 
other immovable property and includes rent in cash or kind 
which a person is liable to pay or deliver in respect of the 
lawful use and occupation of agricultural land accrued due 
for the fasli year ending with the 30th June, 1975 or for any 
previous fasli year but does not include „khata‟ amount due 
to village merchant for supply of provisions; 

Central Act 43 of 1961 

Central Act 43 of 1961 



[Act No.24 of 1976]  5 

 Explanation.- For the purpose of this clause, „rent‟ in 
relation to agricultural land shall mean rent accrued due for 
the fasli year ending with the 30th June, 1975 and for any 
previous fasli year; 
 
 (e) „landless labourer‟ means a person who does not 
hold any agricultural land and whose principal means of 
livelihood is the income derived from the wages for the 
manual labour on agricultural land; 
 
 (f) pay with its grammatical variations includes deliver; 
 
 (g) „suit‟ or „application‟ does not include an appeal 
from a decree or order passed in a suit or application or an 
application for revision or review. 
 
3. (1) No suit for the recovery of a debt shall be instituted, 
no application for the execution of a decree for payment of 
money passed in a suit for the recovery of a debt shall be 
made, and no suit or application for the eviction of a tenant 
on the ground of non-payment of a debt shall be instituted 
or made, against any agriculturist, landless labourer or 
artisan, in any civil or revenue court before the expiry of a 
year from the date of the commencement of this Act or such 
further period not exceeding one year as the State 
Government may, if they are satisfied that there are sufficient 
grounds for doing so, by notification in the Telangana 
Gazette, specify, in this behalf, so however that the 
aggregate period including the further period so specified 
shall not exceed two years. 
 
 Explanation.- Suit does not include a claim to a set off 
made in a suit instituted by an agriculturist, landless 
labourer or artisan. 
 
 (2) Where a debt is payable by an agriculturist, 
landless labourer or artisan jointly or jointly and severally 

Bar of suits and 
applications for 
recovery of debts. 



6  [Act No.24 of 1976] 

with a person who is not an agriculturist, landless labourer 
or artisan, no suit or application of the nature mentioned in 
this section shall be instituted or made either against the 
said person or against the agriculturist, landless labourer or 
artisan, as the case may be, before the expiry of the period 
mentioned in this section. 
 
 (3) A suit shall be deemed to be a suit for the recovery 
of a debt notwithstanding that other, reliefs are prayed for in 
such suit, and a decree, shall be deemed to be a decree for 
payment of money passed in such suit notwithstanding that 
other reliefs are granted, by such decree: 
 
 Provided that a suit for possession of land shall not be 
deemed to be a suit for recovery of a debt by reason merely 
of mesne profits being also prayed for in such suit. 
 
4. (1) All further proceedings in suits and applications of 
the nature mentioned in section 3 in which relief is claimed 
against an agriculturist, landless labourer or artisan not, 
being proceedings for the amendment of pleading or for the 
addition, substitution, or the striking off of parties, but 
otherwise inclusive of proceedings consequent on orders or 
decrees made in appeals, revision petitions, or applications 
for review, shall subject to the provisions of sub-section (2) 
stand stayed until the expiry of a year from the date of the 
commencement of the Act or such further period not 
exceeding one year as the State Government may if they are 
satisfied that there are sufficient grounds for doing so, by 
notification in the 7Telangana Gazette, specify in this behalf, 
so however, that the aggregate period including the further 
period so specified shall not exceed two years: 
 
 Provided that, in regard to property under attachment, 
the court may pass such orders as it deems necessary for 

                                                           
7. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016. 

Stay of 
proceedings. 



[Act No.24 of 1976]  7 

the custody or preservation of the property or for the sale of 
such property if it is subject to speedy or natural decay, or, if 
in respect of it, the expenses of custody or preservation are 
considered excessive. 
 
 (2) On an application made by the defendant or the 
respondent or by all the defendants or all the respondents, 
as the case may be, the stay of all further proceedings in 
suit or application, effected by sub-section (1) shall be 
dissolved and the suit or application shall be proceeded 
with from the stage which had been reached when further 
proceedings in the suit or the application were stayed. 
 
5. In computing the period of limitation or limit of time 
prescribed for a suit for the recovery of a debt or an 
application for the execution of a decree passed in such 
suit, the time during which the institution of the suit or the 
making of the application was barred by section 3 or during 
which the plaintiff or his predecessor-in-title, believing in 
good faith that section 3 applied to such suit or such 
application, refrained from instituting the suit or making the 
application, shall be excluded. 
 
 Explanation.-The expression “good faith” shall have the 
meaning assigned to it in section 3 (22) of the General 
Clauses Act, 1897. 
 
6. Notwithstanding anything in the 8Andhra Pradesh 
(Andhra Area) Pawn Brokers Act, 1943 or the Telangana 
Money Lenders Act, 1349F no pawn-broker or money lender 
shall dispose of by sale any pledge for the realisation of any 
debt advanced by him to an agriculturist, landless labourer 
or artisan and any such sale effected after the 
commencement of this Act, shall be null and void. 
 

                                                           
8. The Act has been repealed by Act No.6 of 2002.  

 

Exclusion of time 
for limitation. 

Central Act X of 1897. 

Act XXIII of 1943. 

Act V of 1349F. 

Prohibition of sale 
of pledges. 



8  [Act No.24 of 1976] 

7. Every transfer of immovable property by a debtor 
entitled to the benefit of section 3 or section 4 made after 
the date of the commencement of this Act and before the 
expiry of the period specified in or under section 3 or 
section 4 as the case may be shall, in any suit or other 
proceeding, with respect to such transfer, be presumed, 
until the contrary is proved, to have been made with intent to 
defeat or delay the creditors of the transferor. 
 
8. (1) Any pawn broker or money lender who contravenes 
the provisions of section 6 shall, on conviction, be punished 
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six 
months or with fine which may extend to one thousand 
rupee, or with both. 
 
 (2) An offence punishable under this section shall be 
cognizable. 
 
9. The provisions of this Act shall have effect 
notwithstanding anything, inconsistent therewith contained 
in the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Tenants and Ryots 
Protection Act, 1949 or in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 
or in any other law for the time being in force, or any 
custom, usage or contract, or decree or order of a court or 
other authority. 
 
10. (1) The State Government may, by notification in the 
9Telangana Gazette, make rules for carrying out all or any of 
the purposes of this Act. 
 
 (2) Every rule made under this Act, shall immediately, 
after it is made, be laid before each House of the State 
Legislature if it is in session and if it is not in session, in the 
session immediately following for a total period of fourteen 
days, which may be comprised in one session or in two 

                                                           
9. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016.  

Effect of transfer 
of immovable 
property by 
debtor. 

Penalty for 
contravention of 
section 6. 

Act to override 
other laws, 
contracts, etc. 

 Act XIV of 1949 

Central Act 5 of 1908 

 

 

 

Power to make 
rules. 



[Act No.24 of 1976]  9 

successive sessions and if, before the expiration of the 
session in which it is so laid or the session immediately 
following, both Houses agree in making any modification in 
the rule or in the annulment of the rule, the rule shall from 
the date on which the modification or annulment is notified 
in the 10Telangana Gazette have effect only in such modified 
form or shall stand annulled, 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. 
 
11. The Andhra Pradesh Indebted Agriculturists, Landless 
Labourers and Artisans (Temporary Relief) Ordinance, 1975, 
is hereby repealed. 
 

* * * 

                                                           
10. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016.  

Repeal of 
ordinance 8 of 
1975. 


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