The Arunachal Pradesh Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1997

THE ARUNACHAL PRADESH PREVENTION OF DEFACEMENT OF PROPERTY ACT, 1997 (Act No. 6 of 1997) AN ACT to provide for the prevention of defacement of property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

BE it enacted by the Leyslative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh in the Forty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows :—

1. (1) This Act may be called the Arunachal Short title Pradesh Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, and com- 1997. mence-

ment.

1. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Arunachal Pradesh.
2. (3) It shall come into force on such date as the

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires : (a) "Deputy Commissioner" means the Deputy Commissioner of a district and includes any officer appointed by the Government to exercise and perform all or any of the powers and functions of a Deputy Commissioner under this Act; (b) 'defacement' includes impairing or interfering with the appearance or beauty, damaging, disfiguring, spoiling or injuring in any way whatsoever and the word "deface" shall be construed accordingly ; (c) "Government" means the Government of Arunachal Pradesh ; (d) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette ; (e) "Official Gazette" means the Official Gazette of Arunachal Pradesh ; (f) "property" means any property— Government or private including any building, hut, monument, statue, water pipe lines, public roads, structure, wall including compound wall, trees, fence, post, pole or any other erection except those specified or identified places as may be allowed by the Deputy Commissioner or by such officer authorised by him in this behalf from time to time ; (g) "public place" means any place (including a road, street or way whether a thorough fare or not and a landing place) to which the public are granted access or have a right to resort or over which they have a right to pass ; (h) "public view" means anything which is visible to public while they are in or passing along with any public place ; (i) "writing" includes decoration, lettering, ornamentation etc., produced by stencil or in any other manner.

Whoever attempts to commit any offence punishable under this Act or to cause such offence to be committed and in such attempt does any act towards the commission of the offence shall be punishable with the punishment provided for the offence under section 3.

Any person who, by the supply of or solicitation for money, provides premises, supply material's or in any manner whatsoever, procures, counsels, aids, abets in the commission of offence or is accessory to such commission of offence under this Act shall be punishable with the punishments provided for the offence under section 3.

An offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable.

Without prejudice to the provisions of section 3, it shall be competent for the Deputy Commissioner to take such steps as may be necessary for erasing any writing, freeing any defacement or removing any mark, hoarding or cut outs from any property.

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against the Government, any local authority or person for anything which is in good faith or in public interest done or intended to be done under this Act.

The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law for the time being in force.