In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(1) 'agricultural labourer' means a person whose principal means of livelihood is the income derived from the wages for his manual labour on agricultural land;
(2) 'agricultural land' means any land used for any of the following purposes namely:-
(a) horticulture;
(b) the raising of crops, grass or garden produce;
(c) grazing;
(d) the raising of manure crop;
(e) dairy farming;
(f) poultry farming;
(g) live-stock breeding;
(h) growing of trees; and
(i) includes any land used for any purpose subservient to the above purposes any forest land, pasture land, plantation, orchard and tope ; but does not include house-site or land used exclusively for non-agricultural purposes;
(3) 'agriculturist' means a person who cultivates agricultural land by the contribution of his own manual labour or of the manual labour of any member of his family;
Explanation.- For the purposes of this clause, the term "family" shall consist of the agriculturist, his wife and dependent parents and children;
(4) 'artisan' includes a village carpenter, blacksmith, barber, washerman, potter and other persons engaged in such other callings or employment as may be specified by the Government in this behalf;
(5) 'authorised officer' means any Tahsildar specially authorised by the Government by notification to exercise the powers conferred on and perform the functions entrusted to, the authorised officer by or under this Act, for such areas as may be specified in the notification;
(6) 'date of commencement of this Act' means the date specified in sub-section (3) of section 1;
(7) 'dwelling house' includes a hut;
(8) 'Government' means the State Government;
(9) 'homestead' means the site of any dwelling house occupied, either as licensee or otherwise, by any landless agriculturist or agricultural labourer or artisan in any village and includes such other area adjacent to the dwelling house as may be necessary for the convenient enjoyment of such dwelling house;
(10) 'landless agriculturist' means an agriculturist, who does not hold any agricultural land as owner, or who owns an extent of agricultural land which does not exceed one hectare if it is a wet land, and two hectares if it is a dry land;
(11) 'land-owner' means an owner of the homestead and includes a lessor licensor in relation to any homestead, trustee, usufructuary mortgagee and any other intermediary who has an interest in the homestead;
(12) 'notification' means a notification published in the Telangana Gazette; and the word 'notified' shall be construed accordingly;
(13) 'occupant of homestead' means any landless agriculturist or agricultural labourer or artisan for the time being in occupation of the dwelling house built at his, expenses or at the expense of his predecessor in title on a homestead belonging to a land owner ;
Explanation.- It shall be presumed until the contrary is proved that the dwelling house has been built by the occupant thereof, at his expense;
(14) 'prescribed' means prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act;
(15) 'village' means any local area which is recognised as village in the revenue accounts of the Government.