9. Settlement and term of settlement in Indian Land law

Definition of settlement The term 'settlement' is defined under Section 75 of Part-C of Chapter VII of the Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code, 1959.  It provides that the result of the operations carried out in accordance with this part in continuation of revenue survey in order to determine or revise the land revenue payable on lands in any local area are called 'settlement' and the period during which the revised land revenue shall be in force shall be called the term of settlement.

According to above definition of 'settlement' is a process in continuation of revenue survey by which land revenue payable on lands in a local area is determined or revised and the period during which the determined or revised land revenue shall be in force is called term of settlement.

Term of settlement- The term of settlement is the period during which the revised land revenue in any local area shall be in force is called the term of settlement. In respect of term of settlement following provisions have been made under Section 85 of the Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code-

(1) The term of settlement shall be fixed by the State Government and shall not be less than thirty days:

Provided that if, at any time during the currency of the settlement, the State Government finds that having regard to changes in general conditions subsequent to the settlement, it is desirable that the assessment should be reduced, it may reduce such assessment for such period as it may deem fit.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in Sub-section (1) in any area where there is ample scope for extension of cultivation or for agricultural development or where the pitch of rents is unduly low or where there has been a rapid development of resources owing to the construction of roads, railways or canal since the last settlement, the State Government may, for reasons to be recorded, fix a term which may be less than thirty years but which shall, in no case, be less than twenty years.

(3) Notwithstanding that the term of settlement fixed under Sub- section (1) or Sub-section (2) for any local area has expired, the term shall be deemed to have been extended till the commencement of the term of the subsequent settlement in that area.