Penalty

(1) Whoever willfully obstructs any person in doing any of the acts authorised under section 5, 7 or as the case may be, section 8 or willfully fills up, destroys, damages or displaces any trench or mark made under section 5 or willfully does anything prohibited under the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 9, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months or fine or both. (2) Whoever willfully removes, displaces, damages or destroys any pipeline laid under section 7, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year, but which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine. receipt of such report, the State Government shall declare, by notification in the Official Gazette, that the right of user in the land for laying the pipelines shall be acquired. (2) On the publication of the declaration under sub-section (1), the right of user in the land shall vest absolutely in the State Government free from all encumbrances. (3) Where in respect of any land, a notification has been issued under sub-section (1) of section 3, but no declaration under this section has been published within a period of one year from the date of that notification, that notification shall cease to have effect on the expiration of the said period. (4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), the State Government may, on such terms and conditions as it may think fit, to impose, direct by order in writing that the right of user in the land for laying the pipelines shall, instead of vesting in the State Government, vest, either on the date of publication of the declaration or, on such other date as may be specified in the order, in the Corporation proposing to lay the pipelines and thereupon the right of such user in the land shall, subject to the terms and conditions so imposed, vest in that Corporation free from all encumbrances.