Liberty to practice in rural areas.

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Chapter a person may, subject to the payment of such fees as may be prescribed, practise any system of medicine other than Homoeopathy in any rural area- (a) if he has commenced practice in that system in any village in the said area prior to a date on which a practitioner registered under the Bombay Medical Act, 1912 or under the Bombay Medical Practitioners' Act, 1938 (or any law corresponding thereto) for the time being in force, has commenced, and is in regular practice in, medicine in that village, and (b) so long as he continues to so practise in that village as his principal place of practice. Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this section "rural area" means any local area, which was not within the limits of a municipal corporation, [municipal borough, municipal district, cantonment or notified area :— (i) on the first day of March, 1939, if such local area forms part of the Bombay area of the State ; (ii) on the first day of March,1951, if such local area forms part of the Saurashtra area of the State; or (iii) on the 31st day of July 1949, if such local area forms part of the Kutch area of the State. Explanation 2.—The term "notified area" in Explanation 1 means a notified area declared under the Bombay District Municipal Act, 1901 or the said Act as adapted and applied to Saurashtra area of the State.