(1) The fair rent in respect of any land may be paid either in cash or in kind or partly in cash and partly in kind, in accordance with the terms of the contract between the public trust and the cultivating tenant; and in the absence of such a contract, the fair rent may be paid at the option of the cultivating tenant in any one of the above ways:
Provided that the option shall be exercised within three months from the date on which the tenancy agreement takes effect and if the cultivating tenant does not exercise the option within the period aforesaid, the trustee of the public trust shall, by notice given to the cultivating tenant, specify the way in which the fair rent shall be paid by the cultivating tenant:
Provided further that the option once exercised or the way once specified shall not be changed except by mutual agreement:
Provided also that where the crop raised is paddy, the public trust shall have the right it insist that the rent shall be paid in kind.
(2) Whenever adverse seasonal conditions result in the reduction of the gross produce from any particular crop to the extent of more than 25 per cent, the public trust shall be bound to remit a proportionate part of the fair rent due to it from its cultivating tenant in respect of that land for that period:
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Provided that before admitting or inquiring into an application made by a cultivating tenant for remission of fair rent under this section, the Rent Court may impose such conditions as it considers reasonable in the circumstances of the case including conditions as to deposit of admitted rent which has become due.
*26. Alteration or revision of fair rent.- (1) Where in respect of any land fair rent has been determined under this Chapter, it shall continue in force for five years:
Provided that the Rent Court may, on an application made by the cultivating tenant under any public trust, reduce the fair rent if it is satisfied that on account of deterioration of the land by floods or other causes beyond the control of the cultivating tenant, the land has been wholly or partially rendered unfit for the purposes of cultivation:
Provided further that the Rent Court may, on an application made by the trustee of a public trust, enhance the fair rent if it is satisfied that on account of any improvements made in the land by or at the expense of the public trust, the produce of the land has increased.
(2) Where fair rent has been determined under this Chapter, in respect of any land before the date of the publication of the Tamil Nadu Public Trusts (Regulation of Administration of Agricultural lands) Amendment Act, 1980, in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, and such fair rent is in excess of the fair rent specified in section 24, as amended by the said amendment Act, then, notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), on and from the said date, the fair rent so determined shall, in respect of that date and any period after that date stand reduced to the fair rent specified in the said section 24, as amended by the Amendment Act.