Public to assist and to render service in carrying out preventive or remedial measures including destruction of locusts in case of locust menace.

(1) When any notified area in which locusts have been declared to be an insect pest under section 3 is invaded or is in danger of an invasion by the locusts, the Collector or any officer appointed by him in this behalf may, with a view to facilitating preventive or remedial measures against locusts, by proclamation published in the manner hereinafter specified :—

(a) call upon all male persons not below the age of 18 and above the age of 60 years and residing in the notified area to render all possible assistance in carrying out preventive or remedial measures and in the destruction of locusts :

Provided that no person who, on account of physical infirmity is incapable of rendering assistance or who resides at a distance of more than eight kilometers from the place where his assistance is required shall be called upon to render assistance under this clause;

(b) require a1l or any male persons not below the age of 18 and above the age of 60 years and residing in the notified area to present themselves at such time and at such place and to such authority as may be specified in the proclamation and to render such service and for such time as may be required of them by the authority to whom they have presented themselves in pursuance of such proclamation :

Provided that no person who, by reason of old age, physical infirmity or any other reasonable cause, is incapable of rendering such service shall be called upon to render service under this clause.

(2) When any person is called upon to render assistance under clause (a) of sub-section (1), the Collector or the officer appointed or any officer authorised by the Collector may direct such person to do or not to do any particular thing.

(3) Persons who are called upon to render service under clause (b) of sub-section (1) shall, in consideration of such ser vice, be entitled to such payment as may be prescribed.

(4) A proclamation under sub-section (1) shall be published by the beat of drum in the town or village and by affixing copy thereof in chawdi, chora or in some other public building or place in the town or village, as the case may be, and the statement in writing by the Collector or officer making the procla-mation to the effect that the proclamation was duly published on a specified day, shall be conclusive evidence that the require-ments of this section have been complied with and that the proclamation was published on such day.

(5) A proclamation under sub-section (1) shall ceases to operate at the expiration of three months from the dare of its issue unless, before the expiration of the said period of three months, the State Government by public notice, extends it to a further period not exceeding three months. The provisions of sub-section (4) shall mutatis mutandis apply to the publication of such public notice,