Chapter I PRELIMINARY

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) “Board” means the Karnataka Slum Development Board, established under section 33; (b) “building” includes a house, out-house, stable, latrine, shed, hut, wall and any other such structure, whether of masonry, bricks, wood, mud, metal or any other materials whatsoever, but does not include plant or machinery comprised in a building; (c) "court” means the District Court having jurisdiction; (d) “erection” in relation to a building includes extension, alteration or re-erection; (e) “Government” means the State Government; (ee) "hut" means any building, which is constructed principally of wood, mud, leaves, grass or thatch and includes any temporary structure of whatever size or any small building of whatever material made; (f) “land” includes building and benefits to arise out of land and things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to anything attached to the earth; (ff) "licensing authority" means the authority competent under any law for the time being in force to grant permission for the execution of work relating to construction or re-construction of any building and where there is no such authority, such authority as the State Government may by notification specify and until, such notification is made, the Tahsildar of the Taluk concerned. (g) “notification” means a notification published in the official Gazette; (h) “occupier” includes,- (i) an owner in occupation of, or otherwise using his land or building; (ii) any person who for the time being is paying or is liable to pay to the owner the rent or any portion of the rent of the land or building in respect of which such rent is paid or is payable; (iii) a rent-free tenant of any land or building; (iv) a licensee in occupation of any land or building; and (v) any person who is liable to pay to the owner damages for the use and occupation of any land or building; (i) “owner” includes any person, who is receiving or is entitled to receive the rent of any land or building, whether on his own account or on behalf of himself and others or as an agent, trustee, executor, administrator, receiver or guardian or who would so receive the rent or be entitled to receive the rent, if the land or building were let to a tenant; (j) “person interested” in relation to any land or building, includes any person claiming, or entitled to claim an interest in the compensation payable on account of the acquisition of that land or building under this Act: (k) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made by Government under this Act; (l) “prescribed authority” means any authority or person authorised by the Government in this regard by notification; (m) “slum area” means any area declared to be slum area under sub-section (1) of section 3; (n) “slum clearance area” means any slum area declared to be slum clearance area under sub-section (1) of section 11; (o) “State Housing Board” means the Karnataka Housing Board established under the Karnataka Housing Board Act, 1962 (Karnataka Act 10 of 1963); (p) “work of improvement” in relation to any building in a slum area include the execution of any one or more of the following works, namely:- (i) necessary repair; (ii) structural alteration; (iii) provision of light points, water-taps and bathing places; (iv) construction of drains, open or covered; (v) provision of latrines, including conversion of dry latrines into water-borne latrines; (vi) provision of additional or improved fixtures or fittings; (vii) opening up or paving of court yards; (viii) removal of rubbish; and (ix) any other work including the demolition of any building or any part thereof which in the opinion of the prescribed authority is necessary for executing any of the works specified above.

(1) Where the Government is satisfied, that,- (a) any area is or is likely to be a source of danger to health, safety or convenience of the public of that area or of its neighborhood, by reason of the area being low-lying, insanitary, squalid, over-crowded or otherwise; or (b) the buildings in any area, used or intended to be used for human habitation are,- (i) in any respects, unfit for human habitation; or (ii) by reason of dilapidation, over crowding, faulty arrangement and design of such buildings, narrowness or faulty arrangement of streets, lack of ventilation, light or sanitation facilities, or any combination of these factors, detrimental to safety, health or morals, it may, by notification, declare such area to be a slum area. (2) In determining whether a building is unfit for human habitation, for the purposes of this Act regard shall be had to its condition in respect of the following matters, that is to say,- (i) repair, (ii) stability, (iii) freedom from damp, (iv) natural light and air, (v) water-supply, (vi) drainage and sanitary conveniences, (vii) facilities for storage, preparation and cooking of food and for the disposal of waste water, and the building shall be deemed to be unfit as aforesaid, if it is so defective in one or more of the said matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation.

(1) (a) Within the period specified in clause (b), the owner or occupier of every building situated in any slum area shall send to the prescribed authority a statement in such form as may be prescribed. (b) The statement under clause (a) shall be sent within such period as may be prescribed. On receipt of the statement under sub-section (1) the prescribed authority shall, on being satisfied about the correctness of the statement, register the building in a register maintained for the purpose and containing such particulars as may be prescribed and shall issue in the prescribed form, a registration certificate to the owner or occupier of the building.