Chapter I PRELIMINARY.

(1) This Act may be called the Gujarat Rural Housing Board Act, 1972. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Gujarat. (3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— (1) "adjoining area" means such area as may be specified to be an adjoining area under section 27; (2) "agricultural labourer" means an agricultural labourer as defined in the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948; (3) "Board" means the Gujarat Rural Housing Board constituted under section 3; (4) "Board premises" means any premises belonging to or vesting in the Board or taken on lease by the Board or entrusted to the Board under this Act for management and use for the purposes of this Act; (5) "building materials" means such commodities or articles as are specified to be building materials for the purposes of this Act by the State Government by notification in the Official Gazette; (6) "bye-laws" means bye-laws made under section 70; (7) "Chairman" means the Chairman of the Board; (8) "Competent authority" means any person, authorised by the State Government by notification in the Official Gazette to perform the functions of the competent authority under Chapter VI for such area as may be specified in the notification and shall be a person who is holding or has held an office which is not lower in rank than that of a Deputy Collector or the Rural Assistant Housing Commissioner under the Board; (9) "housing scheme" means a housing scheme made under this Act; (10) "land" includes benefits to arise out of land and things attached to the earth or permanently fastened and things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to anything attached to the earth; (11) "land acquisition law" means the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 as in force in the State of Gujarat; (12) "member" means a member of the Board; (13) "panchayat" means a gram panchayat, nagar panchayat, taluka pan- chayat or, as the case may be, a district panchayat as constituted under the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1961; (14) "premises" means any land or building or part of a building and includes— (i) gardens, grounds and outhouses, if any, appertaining to such building or part of a building; and (ii) any fittings affixed to such building or part of a building for the more beneficial enjoyment thereof; (15) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules; (16) "programme" means the annual housing programme prepared by the Board under section 29; (17) "regulation" means regulation made under section 69; (18) "Rent Act" means the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947 as in force in the State of Gujarat; (19) "rules" means rules made under section 68; (20) "rural area" means an area which for the time being is not within the limits of a city, municipal borough, cantonment or notified area constituted under any law for the time being in force; (21) "Scheduled Castes" means such castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within, such castes, races or tribes as are deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to the State of Gujarat under article 341 of the Constitution of India; (22) "Scheduled Tribes" means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of, or groups within, such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to the State of Gujarat under article 342 of the Constitution of India; (23) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Board; (24) "Tribunal" means the Tribunal constituted under section 45; (25) "year" means the year commencing on the 1st day of April and ending on the 31st day of March.