Chapter I PRILIMINARY

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,- (a) "agricultural development" includes development of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, dairy, poultry, piggery, sheep and cattle breeding, pisciculture, sericulture and allied avocations; (b) "antyodaya family" means a family and members thereof identified by the competent authority as such in accordance with the norms prescribed by the State Government in the notification published in the Official Gazette; (c) "bank" means,- (i) a banking company as defined in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949); (ii) the State Bank of India constituted under the State Bank of India Act, 1955 (23 of 1955). (iii) a Subsidiary Bank as defined in the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 (38 of 1959); (iv) a Regional Rural Bank established under the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976 (21 of 1976); (v) a corresponding new bank constituted under the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (5 of 1970); (vi) any banking institution notified by the Central Government under section 51 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949); (vii) the Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation constituted under the Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation Act, 1963 (10 of 1963); (viii) the Agro-Industries Corporation as defined in clause (c) of section 2 of the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural Credit Operations and Miscellaneous Provisions (Banks) Act, 1972 (7 of 1973); (ix) the Agricultural Finance Corporation Limited, a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956); (x) any other Financial institution notified by the State Government in the Official Gazette as bank for the purposes of this Act; (d) "Board" means the Board of directors of the Corporation; (e) "Chairman" and "Vice Chairman" means the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Corporation; (f) "committee" means a committee appointed under section 6(2) of this Act; (g) "competent authority" means such officer specially empowered by the State Government to discharge the functions of a competent authority for the purposes of this Act; (h) "Corporation" means the Himachal Pradesh Antyodaya Corporation established under section 3 of this Act; (i) "Central Government" means the Government of India; (j) "Director" means a director of the Board and includes the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman; (k) "margin money" means the money required as the share of the beneficiary for granting financial assistance by the financial banking institutions and other organisations; (l) "marketing" means all activities relating to the transport, grading, pooling, marketing and sale of agricultural or industrial produce, whether in the primary form or in semi-processed or processed form; (m) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (n) "processing" means all activities relating to the processing of agricultural produce so as to make it marketable or fit for consumption and includes purchase and storage of raw material, purchase of equipment, and purchase, installation and running of machinery, required for such processing and storage of finished produce; (o) "small scale industry" means all cottage and small scale industries including house-hold industries where the members of the house-hold are engaged in the manufacture, repairs, maintenance and fabrication of various types of goods, machinery and equipments; (p) "State Government" means the Government of Himachal Pradesh; and (q) "trade and business" means a commercial activity involving sale, purchase and manufacture of goods and other saleable articles for economic gain.

(1) The State Government may, by notification from such date as it may specify in this behalf, establish for the purposes of this Act a Corporation to be called the Himachal Pradesh Antyodaya Corporation. (2) The Corporation shall be a body corporate with the name aforesaid having perpetual succession and a common seal with powers, subject to the provisions of this Act to acquire, hold and dispose of property and to contract, and may, by that name, sue and be sued. (3) If the State Government is satisfied that either the Corporation has made default in performing of any duty imposed on it by or under this Act, or it is expedient so to do in the public interest, the State Government, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Act, may, by order in writing published in the Official Gazette, supersede the Corporation. (4) After the supersession of the Corporation and until it is reconstituted, the powers, duties and functions of the Corporation and its Board under this Act shall be carried on by the State Government or by such officer or officers as the State Government may appoint for this purpose. (5) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the preceding sub-sections or in the Act, the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that with effect from such date as may be specified in the notification, the Corporation shall be dissolved. (6) With effect from the date specified in the notification under sub-section (5)- (a) all properties, funds and dues which are vested in or realizable by the Corporation shall vest in and be realizable by the State Government; (b) all liabilities enforceable against the Corporation shall be enforceable against the State Government to the extent of the properties, funds and dues vested and realised by the State Government.