Every year, questions come up about Bhoodan land in Andhra Pradesh: Who can donate it? Who can receive it? Can it be sold? What happens if the allottee dies without heirs? The answers sit in a short but important set of rules: the Andhra Pradesh Bhoodan and Gramdan Rules, 1965, made under Section 34(1) of the Andhra Pradesh Bhoodan and Gramdan Act, 1965 (Act 13 of 1965).
This guide explains the rules in plain language: how land is relinquished, how the Tahsildar and the Board handle it, what conditions apply to an assignment, how the patta is issued, and how Gram Sabhas and the Board are run.
- The rules cover land relinquished in response to the Bhoodan appeals of Acharya Vinoba Bhave and its assignment to the landless poor.
- Assigned Bhoodan land is heritable but not alienable: it can pass to heirs but cannot be sold or gifted.
- The Tahsildar accepts the relinquishment, the Board confirms it, and the donor's rights then vest in the Board.
- The Tahsildar issues the patta in Form IV on the Board's grant.
1. Scope of the Rules (Rule 1)
The rules extend to the relinquishment of lands by registered holders, or by other persons in Andhra Pradesh having rights in the land, in response to Bhoodan appeals, and to the assignment of the same to landless poor.
2. Who is a "Landless Poor" Person? (Rule 2)
Under Rule 2, a landless poor person is one who:
- owns no land, or owns land not exceeding 2½ acres of wet or 5 acres of dry land; and
- is an agricultural labourer; and
- has an annual income not exceeding Rs. 1,800.
Words not defined in the rules carry the meaning given in the Act.
3. How Land Is Relinquished and Accepted
Step 1: Declaration by the donor (Rule 3)
A declaration to the Tahsildar under Section 12(1) of the Act must be in Form I. It must be attested by a member of the A.P. Bhoodan Yagna Board (constituted under Section 3) or by a member of the local committee constituted by the Board.
Step 2: Publication of the declaration (Rule 4)
The declaration under Section 13(1) is in Form II. Besides publication in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, it must be published by:
- affixture in the village chavadi (or a conspicuous place in the village or town if there is no chavadi);
- beat of tom tom in the village or town;
- affixture on the notice board of the Tahsildar's office; and
- where the land lies within a panchayat or municipality, affixture on that office's notice board.
Step 3: Service on the person concerned (Rules 5 and 6)
A copy of the declaration and the notice must be served on the person concerned. Service may be made by:
- delivering or tendering it to the person, his agent, or any adult member of his family; or
- if none of these is practicable, affixing it at his last known place of residence, or sending it by registered post acknowledgment due.
The notice under Section 13(3) is in Form III and is served in the same manner.
Step 4: Clearing dues before acceptance (Rule 7)
Before passing an order accepting the relinquishment, the Tahsildar must find out whether any amount is due to the Government, whether as land revenue arrears or otherwise. If any is due, it must be collected before the relinquishment is accepted.
Step 5: Vesting in the Board (Rule 8)
Once the Tahsildar accepts the relinquishment and the Board confirms it (or it is deemed confirmed), all rights, title and interest of the donor in the land stand transferred to and vest in the Board.
4. Conditions of Assignment to the Landless Poor (Rule 9)
When the Board grants land under Section 14(1), the grant is subject to the conditions below.
| Subject | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Nature of title | Land is heritable but not alienable. It may be mortgaged only to the Government, or to a recognised co-operative society (including a Land Mortgage Bank or Panchayat Samithi) to raise loans for developing the land. |
| Cultivation | Land must be brought under cultivation within three years. Cultivation must be by the assignee or a member of his family, putting in the minimum labour the Board specifies. |
| Land tax | No land tax for the first three years, except on any part already under cultivation. Water rate is still charged if Government water is used. |
| Payments | The allottee pays land revenue, cesses and other charges, and a cash contribution to the Board as fixed from time to time. |
| Timber | The grantee pays the value of any timber on the land before taking possession. The Board may allow payment in 3 annual instalments or waive it. |
| Co-operative farming | If a Co-operative Farming Society is formed in the village, the grantee must join it if the Board requires, and follow its bye-laws. |
| Other charges | The assignment is subject to demarcation and sub-division charges and betterment charges, if any. The Board may bear demarcation and sub-division costs and waive their collection. |
| Ceiling | Maximum 2½ acres of wet or 5 acres of dry land per individual. Land the assignee already owns elsewhere is counted, and each joint family member's share and the joint family's income are considered for eligibility. |
| Cancellation | The grant is liable to cancellation if it was grossly inequitable, or made under a mistake of fact, fraud or misrepresentation. |
| No heirs | If the allottee dies without heirs, the land reverts to the Board. |
| Records | The grant is entered in a separate section of the village register of conditional assignment and noted in Village Account No. 2. Any violation coming to the Revenue Officers' notice must be reported to the Board by the Tahsildar. |
5. Patta and Possession (Rules 10 to 12)
- The Board sends a copy of the grant to the Tahsildar for issue of the patta (Rule 10).
- The Tahsildar issues the patta in Form IV. The grantee is then entitled to enter and take possession immediately (Rule 11).
- A copy of the patta order goes to the village officers, who must publish it in the village chavadi and update the village records (Rule 11).
- Sub-division records, if any, go to the District Land Records Officer, who intimates the final areas and assessments so the village records and pattas can be corrected (Rule 12).
6. Temporary Lease of Vested Land (Rule 13)
Land whose possession has vested in the Board under Section 13(4) may be leased temporarily to a person the Board approves. The rent cannot exceed the maximum rent allowed under the tenancy laws in force in that area.
7. Gramdan: Lists, Notices and Declarations (Rules 14 to 17)
- Draft list (Rule 14): The draft list under Section 15(2) is published in the Gazette and also by chavadi affixture, tom tom, and notice boards of the Tahsildar's office and the panchayat or municipality. The notice under Section 15(2) is in Form V.
- Gram Sabha members' list (Rule 15): The Board publishes the list in the Gazette, the District Gazette (if any), and on the chavadi and notice boards. Amendments are published the same way.
- Declaration under Section 17(1)(c) (Rule 15A): in Form V-A, attested by a member or the Secretary of the Bhoodan Yagna Board or a local committee member.
- Declaration under Section 18(1) (Rule 17): in Form VIII, attested by at least two witnesses, one of whom must be a member of the local committee.
8. Election of Gram Sabha President and Vice President (Rule 16)
The Board arranges the election of the President and Vice President from among the Gram Sabha members, with every listed member entitled to vote. The main points are:
| Stage | Rule |
|---|---|
| Election Officer | The Tahsildar of the taluk |
| Nomination | In Form VI, signed by one elector as proposer (no elector may propose more than one candidate), with the candidate's declaration of willingness |
| Deposit | Rs. 10 in cash (Rs. 3 for SC/ST candidates); forfeited to the Gram Sabha if the candidate loses and gets no more than one-eighth of valid votes |
| Rejection of nomination | Appeal to the RDO within three days; RDO's order is final and must be communicated within three days of filing |
| Withdrawal | Last date is one week from the date of scrutiny |
| Poll | At least ten days after scrutiny; separate compartments and ballot paper colours for President and Vice President; ballot in Form VII |
| Challenged votes | Deposit of Rs. 2 per challenged vote |
| Counting | On the next day after the election, with results announced |
| Election petition | To the RDO within 30 days of announcement; appeal to the District Collector within 30 days of the RDO's order |
9. Registers, Funds, Budget and Audit (Rules 18 to 32)
- Register (Rule 18): The Board and local committees maintain a register in Form IX of lands donated, accepted and actually granted to the landless poor, including lands donated and allotted before the Act began.
- Funds (Rules 20 and 21): Board funds are deposited in the Board's name in a scheduled bank, the A.P. State Co-operative Central Bank, or a Post Office Savings Bank. Money not needed immediately may be invested in Government-guaranteed securities, with no pledging or withdrawal without Government sanction. Gram Sabha funds are administered by its President.
- Accounts (Rules 22 to 26): The Board keeps a minutes book, cash book, demand-collection-balance register, deposit register and other registers. Receipts must be banked within one week, and payments of Rs. 20 or more need stamped receipts.
- Audit (Rule 27): Accounts are audited by the Additional Examiner of Local Fund Accounts, who reports on cash balances, proper registers, recovery of contributions, budget deviations, extravagant expenditure and any loss or waste, naming the persons responsible.
- Budget (Rule 29): The Board submits the budget to Government (Forms X, XI and XII) not later than 15 September every year.
- Staff and meetings (Rules 31 and 32): The Board appoints a Secretary and staff. Board meetings are held at Hyderabad, and local committee and Gram Sabha meetings at their headquarters. A quorum needs more than half of the members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Bhoodan land be sold by the allottee?
No. Under Rule 9, assigned land is heritable but not alienable. The only permitted mortgage is to the Government or a recognised co-operative body, for loans to develop the land.
What is the land limit for one assignee?
Not more than 2½ acres of wet or 5 acres of dry land, counting land the person already owns elsewhere.
When does the donor lose rights in the land?
When the Tahsildar accepts the relinquishment and the Board confirms it (or it is deemed confirmed), the donor's rights vest in the Board (Rule 8).
What if the allottee does not cultivate the land?
The land must be brought under cultivation within three years, and cultivation must be by the assignee or his family. Violations noticed by Revenue Officers are reported to the Board by the Tahsildar, and grants can be cancelled in the cases the rules describe.
Who issues the patta?
The Tahsildar, in Form IV, after receiving a copy of the Board's grant.
Related reading: For land records and pattadar rights in Andhra Pradesh, see our complete guide to the A.P. Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971.
