Definitions.

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,- (i) 'Beneficiary' means, in respect of any water supply scheme, any local authority for the time being deriving, or which is to derive, benefit from such scheme; (ii) 'Consumer' means a person who takes water from a beneficiary to whom a water supply scheme may be entrusted or who takes water from a water supply scheme managed directly by the Government; Explanation.-Consumer does not include a beneficiary. (iii) 'Co-operative society' means a society registered or deemed to be registered under the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Co-operative Societies Act, 1956, (13 of 1956), or the Punjab Co-operative Societies Act, 1961, (25 of 1961) as in force in the areas added to Himachal Pradesh under section 5 of the Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966, (31 of 1966). (iv) 'Official Gazette' means the Rajpatra, Himachal Pradesh; (v) 'Government' or 'State Government' means the Government of Himachal Pradesh; (vi) 'Gram Panchayat', Panchayat Samiti' and 'Zila Parishad' have the meanings respectively assigned to these expressions in the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1968 (19 of 1970); (vii) 'Local authority' means a co-operative society, gram panchayat, panchayat samiti, zila parishad, municipal committee or any other authority entrusted by the Government with the development or control or management of a water supply scheme; (viii) ‘Municipal Committee' and 'Notified Area Committee' have the meanings respectively assigned to these expressions in the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Act, 1968 (19 of 1968); (ix) 'Prescribed' means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (x) 'Rural area' means the whole of the territories of Himachal Pradesh with the exclusion of the urban area; (xi) 'Schedule' means schedule to this Act; (xii) 'Scheme' means a water supply scheme initiated under section 3; (xiii) 'Urban area' means the towns specified in the schedule; (xiv) 'Water rate' means the charge for the time being levied by the Government under section 5 or by the local authority under sub-section (2) of section 6.