Chapter I PRELIMINARY

(1) This Act may be called the Ambaji Area Development and Pilgrimage Tourism Governance Act, 2020. (2) It shall extend to the Pilgrimage Tourism development area as declared under section 3. (3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires- (a) “Ambaji Area Development and Pilgrimage Tourism Governance Authority” means the authority constituted under section 4 or any Government agency or Government company designated as such under sub-section (4) of section 4; (b) “amenities” means basic and essential services including but not limited to roads, bridges, bypasses and underpasses, drainage, water supply, power supply and electrical installations, collection-treatment-discharge and disposal of institutional and township waste, buildings for accommodation, sanitary facilities, health facilities, education facilities, entertainment facilities, means of transport, disaster management, parks, green areas, gas pipeline, hospitality, recreation, industry, development of townships and institutional areas, measures required for safety or convenience of the devotees and such other facilities or services as the Ambaji Area Development and Pilgrimage Tourism Governance (AADPTG) Authority may specify; (c) “building operations” shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it under clause (vi) of section 2 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976; (d) “developer” means a person or entity with whom a Concession Agreement is entered into or a project has been awarded and for which such other agreement is entered into for furtherance of the objectives of this Act; (e) "development" shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it under clause (viii) of section 2 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act,1976. (f) "development plan" means a plan for the development or re-development or improvement of a Pilgrimage Tourism development area; (g) "engineering operations" shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it under clause (xi) of section 2 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act 1976; (h) “Government agency” means a Corporation or a Government company or a body owned or controlled by the State Government or an authority established by or under any State law and includes a local authority; (i) "land" shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it under clause (xiii) of section 2 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976; (j) "local authority" means a municipality constituted or deemed to be constituted under the Gujarat Municipalities Act, 1963, a committee appointed for a notified area under the Gujarat Municipalities Act, 1963 or a panchayat constituted under the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1993; (k) "Notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette; (l) "Nuisance" includes any act of commission or omission or carrying on of any activity, process, operation including the operation of any machine which causes or is likely to cause injury, danger, or which is or may be dangerous to life or injurious to health or property or to any animal or plant; (m) "occupier" includes, - (i) any person who for the time being is paying or is liable to pay to the owner the rent of the land or building in respect of which such rent is paid or is payable; (ii) an owner living in or otherwise using his land or building; (iii) a rent-free tenant; (iv) a licensee in occupation of any land or building; (v) any person who is liable to pay to the owner damages or compensation for the use and occupation of any land or building; (n) "operational construction" shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it under clause (xvii) of section 2 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976. (o) "owner", in relation to any property, includes any person who is, for the time being receiving or entitled to receive, whether on his own account or on account of or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any other person or as an agent, trustee, guardian, manager or receiver for any other person or for any religious or charitable institution, the rents or profits of the property; and also includes a mortgagee in possession thereof but shall not include any such person who on the date of commencement of this Act is in illegal possession of any land which has been acquired by the State Government or by any other authority and has vested in the State Government and shall also not include a person who has encroached upon such land; (p) “person” means and includes, an individual, an entity, a company, firm, organization, association of persons, society, establishment, institution including Government agencies carrying on business or economic activity in the Pilgrimage Tourism development area; (q) “Pilgrimage Tourism development area” means the area declared under section 3; (r) “Pilgrimage Tourism trade” means and includes facilities, service, activities or products relating to Pilgrimage Tourism provided to a pilgrim in a premises by any person or travel agency or Trust regularly or occasionally within Pilgrimage Tourism development area or otherwise; (s) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (t) “Prescribed Authority” means an Authority appointed under section 25; (u) "regulations" means a regulations made under section 54 and includes zoning and other regulations made as part of a development plan or town planning scheme; (v) "rules" means rules made under section 53; (w) “Tourism activity” means the activities and services including but not limited to industrial, manufacturing, commercial, financial, processing, packaging, logistics, transport, pilgrimage tourism, hospitality, health, housing, entertainment, research and development, education and training, skill development, information and communication, management and consultancy, corporate offices and the activities and services connected therewith or incidental thereto and other activities including the economic activities as the State Government may specify by notification in the Official Gazette; (x) “tourist guide” means the tourist guide appointed under section 30. (y) "Trust" means the Shri Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devasthan Trust (SAAMDT) ;

(2) The words and expression used but not defined in this Act shall have meanings respectively assigned to them in the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976.