Section 3 of DLHCA : Section 3: Ceiling On Holding

Explanation using Example

Imagine a family of six members living in Delhi, owning various parcels of agricultural land. The head of the family, Mr. Sharma, owns 4 hectares of highly fertile land with a private irrigation system that yields two crops a year. His wife owns 6 hectares of land with government irrigation yielding one crop a year. Their eldest son, who is major and married, owns 3 hectares of arid land suitable for an orchard.

Under the Delhi Land Holdings (Ceiling) Act, 1960, the family's landholdings would be assessed to ensure they do not exceed the prescribed ceiling limits. Mr. Sharma's land would be categorized under section 3(1)(a)(i) with a ceiling of 7.25 hectares, while his wife's land falls under section 3(1)(b)(ii) with a ceiling of 8.7 hectares. The son's land is categorized under section 3(1)(c) with a ceiling of 21.8 hectares.

Since the family exceeds five members, they are entitled to hold additional land as per section 3(5), but the total landholding should not be more than twice the ceiling limit. Adding the son's land, the family's total landholding is 13 hectares, which is within the permissible limit after considering the additional entitlement for the sixth family member.

However, if the family's total landholding exceeded the ceiling, they would need to surrender the excess land as per the Act's provisions. This example illustrates how the Act ensures that land ownership is equitably distributed and prevents excessive accumulation of land beyond a certain limit.