“This Court by an order dated 30.07.2024 had appointed an advocate Commissioner to fix the ground rent in terms of Section 13 of Tamil Nadu Minor Inams Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963. This Court is of the view that the assessment has not been made in respect of the land wherein the joint ground patta was already issued and pending the settlement proceedings, once again, directing the commissioner to fix the assessment of ground rent does not serve any purpose, for the simple reason when the patta has been issued in respect of their houses under Section 13 of the Tamil Nadu Minor Inams Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963, the concept of dual patta attracts and therefore the temple will be certainly entitled to revise the rent for the lands on which the houses are situated. Accordingly, since no assessment has been made, this Court directs the Commissioner to fix the fair rent instead of assessment of ground rent after taking note of the present guideline value prevalent therein and report before this Court on the next hearing date.
