Chapter I PRELIMINARY

1. (1) This Act may be called the Orissa Soil Conservation Act, 1965.
2. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Orissa.
3. (3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification, appoint in this behalf and different dates may be so appointed for different areas within the State.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (1) "beneficiary" means a person who or whose land shall be benefited as a result of the execution of a scheme;
2. (2) "Collector" includes any Gazetted Officer specially appointed by the State Government to perform the functions of the Collector under this Act;
3. (3) "Committee" means the Advisory Committee constituted under Section 21 in respect of a scheme;
4. (4) "erosion" means removal or displacement of earth, stones or other materials by the action of wind and water or other natural process;
5. (5) "Grama Sasan" means a Grama Sasan constituted under the Orissa Grama Panchayats Act, 1948;
6. (6) "owner" in relation to land includes a mortgagee with possession, a lessee or sub-lessee;
7. (7) "podu cultivation" means any kind of shifting cultivation generally known as Podu, Jhuming, Bringa, Dangar, Gudia, Bagudia or Kaman cultivation;
8. (8) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
9. (9) "scheme" means a scheme prepared under this Act and includes a scheme declared to be in force for the purposes of this Act under Section 18;
10. (10) "statement" means a statement prepared under Section 19;
11. (11) "work" means any work of public utility constructed, erected or carried out under a scheme and includes a pasture or forest provided or raised under a scheme.