The Indian Toll

THE TOLLS ACT, 1851

(ACT NO.

(i) This Act may be called The Indian Tolls (Jharkhand Amendment) Act, 2002. (ii) It shall extend to whole of the State of Jharkhand. (iii) It shall come into force at once. [Repealed by the Repealing Act, 1870 (Act XIV of 1870).]

The Government may cause such rates of toll, as it thinks fit, to be levied upon any road or bridge which has been, or shall hereafter be, made or repaired at the expense of the Government; and may place the collection of such tolls under the management of such persons as may appear to it proper: and all persons employed in the management and collection of such tolls shall be liable to the same responsibilities as would belong to them if employed in the collection of the land-revenue.

In case of non-payment of any such toll on demand, the officer appointed to collect the same may seize any of the carriages or animals on which it is chargeable, or any part of their burden of sufficient value to defray the toll; and, if any toll remains undischarged for twenty-four hours, with the cost arising from such seizure, the case shall be brought before the officer appointed to superintend the collection of the said toll, who may sell the property seized for discharge of the toll, and all expenses occasioned by such non-payment, seizure and sale, and cause any balance that may remain to be returned, on demand, to the owner of the property; and the said officer, on receipt of the property, shall forth with issue a notice that, at noon of the next day, exclusive of Sunday, or any closed holiday, he will sell the property by auction: Provided that, if, at any time before the sale has actually begun, the person whose property has been seized shall tender the amount of all the expenses incurred, and of double the toll payable by him, the said officer shall forthwith release the property seized.

The following persons and things shall be exempt from payment of tolls: (a) Government Stores and persons in charge thereof; (b) Public servants travelling on duty, and the vehicles and animals employed by the persons aforesaid; (c) Any other class of persons or things which may be exempted by order of the Government provided that no exemption shall be granted during the currency of a lease.

All Police-officers shall be bound to assist the toll-collectors, when required, in the execution of this Act; and, for that purpose, shall have the same power which they have in the exercise of their common police-duties.

Every person, other than the persons appointed to collect the tolls under this Act, who shall levy or demand any toll on any public road or bridge, or for passing through any bazar situated thereon, and also every person who shall unlawfully and extortionately demand, or take any other or higher toll than the lawful toll, or under colour of this Act seize or sell any property knowing such seizure or sale to be unlawful, or in any manner unlawfully extort money or any valuable thing from any person under colour of this Act, shall be liable on conviction before a Magistrate to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six calendar months, or to fine not exceeding two hundred Taka, any part of which fine may be awarded by the Magistrate to the person aggrieved; but this remedy shall not be deemed to bar or affect his right to have redress by suit in the Civil Court.

A table of the tolls authorized to be taken at any toll-gate or station shall be put up in a conspicuous place near such gate or station legibly written or printed in Bengali words and figures, to which shall be annexed, written or printed in like manner, a statement of the penalties for refusing to pay the tolls and for taking any unlawful toll.

The tolls levied under this Act shall be deemed public revenue.

When the right to collect tolls on any public road or bridge has been duly leased, the lessee and the persons employed by the lessee as his agent for collecting tolls shall be deemed to be persons appointed to collect tolls under this Act, and shall exercise all the powers and be subject to all the responsibilities attaching to persons so appointed.

The lessee of any toll bar may compound with any person for a certain sum to be paid by such person for himself or for any vehicles or animals kept by him in lieu of the prescribed rates.

Whoever, having rendered himself liable to payment of tolls, refuses to pay such tolls, shall be liable to fine which may extend to one hundred Taka.

The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, direct that any power or duty which is conferred or imposed by this Act upon the Government, shall be exercised or discharged by any officer subordinate to it.

The Government may make rules, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, "to carry out the purposes of this Act."