The Kerala Land Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 1968 has been promulgated by the State Governor, exempting holdings below two acres (0.810 hectare) from land tax. The Ordinance comes into force immediately. It may be recalled that the proposal of the Government in this regard was announced by the Governor in his address to the State Assembly on January 12. The meeting continued till January 22. Since then, the Assembly was in session from February 18 to March 28 to consider budget proposals and legislative business. The Ordinance was issued yesterday (April 1). The amendment to the Kerala Land Tax Act says: “With effect on and from the first day of April, 1968, no basic tax shall be charged and levied on any land of a landholder if the aggregate extent of land held by him in the State is less than 0.810 hectare.” By another amendment, also sought by the Ordinance, the rates of tax now computed in terms of acres will be computed in terms of hectares. The amendment says that the rates will be Rs. 24.75 per hectare instead of Rs. 10 per acre, as provided in the Act now.
