Chapter IV Chapter IV

Powers of the Collector

Power of the Collector to take possession.–Consequent upon vesting, the Collector shall have powers to take possession of such lands and properties of the Bettiah Raj.

Power of the Collector to remove encroachments Power of the Collector to remove encroachments.–

1. (1) The Collector shall have powers to remove any encroachment, whether permanent or temporary structures, over the properties mentioned in the Notificationas per the Bihar Public Land Encroachments Act, 1956;
2. (2) The Collector shall have power to evict any occupant of a Bettiah Raj Property and seal the premises if he so desires.

Other powers of the Collector.-With respect to the Bettiah Raj Properties vested in the State Government under this Act, the Collector may:-

1. (i) Take or authorize the Special Officer for taking of such measures as he considers necessary or expedient for preserving such Properties;
2. (ii) Authorize the Special Officer to exercise all or any of the powers of the Collector;
3. (iii) Take such actions to recover the money payable to him including steps to recover the same under the Public Demands Recovery Act, 1914;
4. (iv) Enter into such contracts/agreements as are required for maintenance and preservation of the Bettiah Raj Properties;
5. (v) Incur out of the Properties, any expenditure including the payment of any taxes, duties, cesses and rates to Government or to any local authority and of any wages, salaries, pensions, provident fund contributions to, or in respect of, any employee of the Bettiah Raj;
6. (vi) Manage the Corpus Fund subject to the directions of the State Government;
7. (vii) Make such other payments out of the funds of the Bettiah Raj as may be directed by the State Government;
8. (viii) Fix and collect the rent, standard rent, lease rent, license fee or user charges, as the case may be, in respect of Bettiah Raj Properties;
9. (ix) Secure vacant possession of the Bettiah Raj Properties by evicting the unauthorized or illegal occupant or trespasser and remove unauthorized or illegal constructions, if any;
10. (x) Enter into any Properties for the purposes of inspection;
11. (xi) Seal any Bettiah Raj Properties after giving reasonable opportunity to the occupant to vacate on his own;
12. (xii) By notice in writing, require any person whom he believes to be capable of giving information concerning any Bettiah Raj Properties to attend before him at such time and place as may be specified in the notice and examine any such person concerning the same, reduce his statement to writing and require him to sign it;
13. (xiii) By notice in writing, require any person whom he believes to have in his possession or control any account book, letter book, invoice, receipt or other document of whatever nature relating to any Bettiah Raj Properties, to produce the same or cause the same to be produced before him at such time and place as may be specified in the notice and to submit the same to his examination and to allow copies of any entry therein or any part thereof to be taken by him;
14. (xiv) Hire any law firm, law officers, legal professionals or lawyers to defend, represent and fight cases, suits, proceedings at such a remuneration as may be fixed by the State Government;
15. (xv) Hire amins, surveyors, field retainers, accounting professionals, chartered accountants and such other skill-based manpower as are essential to fulfill the objectives of this Act;
16. (xvi) Establish an Asset Management Unit in his office for the purposes of inventory management & preservation of all moveable and immoveable Bettiah Raj Properties.

Power to recover money in matters sub-judice.-It shall be lawful for the Collector to collect or recover money from such properties also as are under dispute or are sub-judice in a court of law.