(1) This Act may be called the Andhra Pradesh Watans (Abolition) Act, 1978.
(2) It extends to the whole of the Telangana area of the State of Andhra Pradesh.
(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 8th December,
1977.
2. Definitions - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) ‘appointed day’ means the day on which this Act came into force;
(b) ‘Collector’ means any officer-in-charge of a revenue division and includes Deputy Collector, a Sub-Collector, an Assistant Collector and any other officer appointed by the Government to perform the functions of the Collector under this Act;
(c) ‘Government’ means the State Government;
(d) ‘gumastha’ means a person appointed to officiate in place of a watandar;
(e) ‘hissedar’ means a person who is not a holder of a watan but who is recognised as a shareholder and is entitled to, a share in the haq-e-malikana appertaining to the watan, that is to say, the one-third of the amount of the average scale of remuneration to which the concerned watandar is entitled;
(f) ‘notification’ means a notification published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette and the word ‘notified’ shall be construed accordingly;
(g) ‘prescribed’ means prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act;
(h) ‘Telangana area’ means the territories specified in sub-section
(1) of section 3 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Central Act 37 of 1956);
(i) ‘watan’ means a village office together with a right to hold the property appertaining thereto held hereditarily; but does not include the village offices of sethsindhies and neeradies;
(j) ‘watandar’ or ‘holder of a watan’ means a person who has been recognised by the competent authority to have a right to hold a watan.
(2) The words and expressions used and not defined in this Act but defined in the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Land Revenue Act, 1317 F (Act VIII of 1317 F)., shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act.