The Punjab Cattle Fairs (Regulation) Act, 1967

THE PUNJAB CATTLE FAIRS (REGULATION) ACT, 1967 (Punjab Act No. 6 of 1968) (Received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 19th February, 1968, and first published in the Punjab Government Gazette (Extra ordinary), Legislative Supplement, Part I of the 24th February, 1968.) AN ACT to regulate the holding of cattle fairs. BE it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Eighteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

This Act may be called the Punjab Cattle Fairs (Regulation) Act, 1967.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) 'broker' means a person who strikes a bargain between a seller and a purchaser of cattle, in any cattle fair, on payment of commission; (b) 'cattle' includes a buffalo, camel, cow, donkey, elephant, goat, horse, mule, sheep and their young-ones and such other animals as the State Government may be notification specify; (c) 'Deputy Commissioner' includes an Additional Deputy Commissioner and such other officer as the State Government may by notification appoint for the purpose of exercising the powers and performing the functions of a Deputy Commissioner under this Act; (d) 'fair area' means such area within a district as may be specified by a fair officer for the purpose of holding a cattle fair; (e) 'fair officer' in relation to any fair area means an officer appointed under section 4 for such area; (f) 'prescribed' means prescribed by rules made under this Act.

(1) The right to hold a cattle fair at any place in the State of Punjab and to control, manage and regulate such fair shall vest exclusively in the State Government and shall be exercisable by it, in accordance with the provision of this Act and the rules made thereunder, through such person r authorites as it may deem fit.

4. (1) There shall be appointed by the State Government or by the Deputy Commissioner, if so authorised by it, one or more fair officers for the purpose of holding, controlling, managing and regulating cattle fairs in a district.

(2) Subject to the direction, control and supervision of the State Government or of the Deputy Commissioner, if so authorised by it, a fair officer shall be responsible for making arrangements in respect of all matters connected with the holding of cattle fair and its proper control, management and regulation and shall also have the powers of-

(i) defining the fair area; (ii) reservation of sites or places for latring, urinals, bath, shops, exhibitions, shows, demonstrations, foot-paths for animals, water- supply for drinking purposes, shelters, green and dry fodder, entertainments and similar other purposes necessary in connection with the cattle fair; (iii) allotment of sites temporarily for commercial or other purposes in connection with the cattle fair, authorisation of raising f structures on such sites, and fixation of rents for such sites in the prescribed manner; (iv) arrangements of watch and ward, lighting, medical first-aid, veterinary aid, sanitation , tentage and other facilities as may be necessary in connection with the cattle fair; (v) construction of temporary offices for the purpose of collecting taxes and fees imposed and levied in connection with the cattle fair.

5. The State Government may, in such manner and at such rates as may be prescribed, impose in a fair area during the continuance of a cattle fair- (a) tolls on vehicles entering such area for business purposes; and (b) octroi duty on goods brought for sale within such area: Provided that no such duty shall be imposed if the goods have already been subjected to the levy of such duty at the time of their entry into the limits of the local authority in which the fair area is situate.

6. Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, no local authority shall be competent to impose any tax or fee in any fair area in connection with a cattle fair during the continuance of the fair.

Every local authority, within whose jurisdictional limits a fair area or a part thereof is situated, shall render to the fair officer, for the purposes of holding, controlling, managing or regulating a cattle fair in such area, such assistance as may be required of it by the fair officer in connection with the cattle fair.

(1) No person shall cattle at a cattle fair unless he has obtained a registration certificate in respect of such cattle in such manner, on payment of such fee and from such authority, as may be prescribed. (2) Every person purchasing cattle at a cattle fair shall obtain in respect of such cattle a sale certificate in such manner, on payment of such fee and from such authority, as may be prescribed.

(1) No person shall act as a broker in any fair area unless he is granted in respect of such area a licence on such terms and conditions as may be specified therein. (2) A licence referred to in sub-section (1) shall be in such from, and shall be issued in such manner, on payment of such fee and by such authority, as may be prescribed. (3) No broker shall be entitled to claim from the seller or the purchaser or both a commission in respect of the sale or purchase of cattle at a cattle fair at a rate exceeding in the aggregate one percentum of the price of the cattle sold. (4) If the fair officer is satisfied that the holder of a broker's licence has violated any of the terms and conditions of the licence or has contravened any of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder, the may, after giving to the broder a reasonable opportunity of being heard, suspend or cancel his licence. (5) An order suspending or canceling a broker's licence shall be revisable by the Deputy Commissioner in such manner as may be prescribed.

(1) No person shall- (a) bring within a fair area any cattle suffering from any contagious or infectious disease; or (b) obstruct the sale or purchase of cattle or unduly interfere therewith or misguide brokers, sellers or purchasers within the fair area or cause loss to the income of the cattle fair by unfair means.

(2) The fair officer shall have power- (a) to prohibit the entry in the fair area of any cattle referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (1) or cause to be driven out of such area such cattle; (b) to get the cattle in the fair area immunised, if necessary; (c) to isolate any diseased cattle; (d) to arrange for the disposal of dead cattle in fair area; and (e) in addition to any other penalty to which such person may be liable under this Act to expel from the fair area any person contravening the provisions of clause (d) of sub-section (1).

(3) For the purposes of complying with the provisions of sub-section (2) the fair officer may use such force as may be necessary.

In the event of an outbreak of fire, the fair office may order the demolition of any structure, if in his opinion its demolition is necessary or ceeding shall lie for an act done or purporting to be done in good faith under this section

The fair officer may, in a fair area, remove any unauthorised construction and the cost of such removal may be recovered from the person making the construction, as arrears of land revenue, if such persons fails to make payment of such cost on a written demand by the fair officer.

13. (1) The fair officer may, in a fair area order the ejectment of any person from the site allotted to him, if such person contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder. (2) If any person fails without reasonable cause to comply with an order made under sub-section (1), the fair officer may take possession of the site any may for that purpose use such force as may be necessary.

14. (1) If the fair officer shall at any time have reason to believe that any person, from whom any sum recoverable is due under the provisions of this Act, is about to remove himself from the fair area, the fair officer may cause a bill for the sum due to be presented to such person and demand immediate payment thereof. (2) If, on presentation of such bill, the said person does not forthwith pay the sum due, the amount shall be recovered by distress and sale in the prescribed manner of cattle or other moveable property in the possession of such person. (3) Where any sum due from any person cannot be recovered under sub section (2) or has been recovered only partially, such sum or the balance thereof, as the case may be, may be recovered as arrears of land revenue if such person fails to make payment thereof on a written demand by the fair officer.

15. (1) The State Government may or the Deputy Commissioner, if so authorised by it, shall direct the Panchayat Samiti or Municipal Committee, as the case may be, in whose jurisdiction the fair is to be held to deposit in te Cattle Fair und the prescribed amount, not exceeding one thousand rupees, to cover the initial expenses of the fair and the local authority to whom the direction is given shall comply with the same. (2) In the event of the Panchayat Samiti or Municipal Committee failing to comply with the directions issued under sub-section (1) the State Government shall have the power to declare the prescribed amount as a fit and proper charge on the Samiti Fund or Municipal Fund, as the case may be.

(1) Thre shall be constituted a Fund to be called "The Cattle Fair Fund" to which shall be credited the following, namely:- (a) all fees, rents or other sums of money (not being tolls and taxes) received or realized under the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder ;and (2) The Cattle Fair Fund shall be kept in such Government treasury or sub-treasury as may be specified by the State Government.

(1) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 3 shall- (a) for the first offence, be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees or with both; and (b) for a second or subsequent offence be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees or with both: Provided that in the case of second or subsequent offence, in the absence of special and adequate reasons to be mentioned in the judgment of the court, such imprisonment shall not be less than one year and such fine shall not be less than two thousand rupees. (2) Any person who contravenes the provision of section 8 or sub-section (1) or sub-section (3) of section 9 or sub-section (1) of section 10 or of the rules made under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both.

1898, an offence ; punishable under sub-section (i) of section 18 shall be cognizable (2) No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under sub-section (2) of section 18 except on a complaint made in writing by the fair officer of any other officer not below the rank of a Gazetted officer authorised by the Deputy Commissioner in this behalf. (3) An offence punishable under sub-section (2) of section 18 may be tried in a summary manner.

The fair officer may accept from any person charged with an offence punishable under sub-section (2) of section 18 by way of composition of the offence a sum of money not exceeding five hundred rupees and on such payment such person, if in custody, shall be set at liberty and the composition shall be deemed to amount to an acquittal and in no case shall any further proceeding be taken against such person in respect of the same offence.

The fair officer may, subject to the rules made under this Act and with the approval of the State Government, make regulations to provide generally against the outbreak or spread of fire and particularly for the following purposes, namely :- (i) safety of buildings and structures put up in the fair area; (ii) laying down conditions on which huts and other structures may be constructed, including limits to the heights of such huts or structures and the areas on which they are to be built an distances between them; (iii) providing for the supply of water; (iv) restricting the use of fire for cooking or for any other purpose and taking precautions against spread of fire.

(1) The State Government may be notification make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters namely :-

(a) the manner in which sites shall be allotted temporarily for commercial or other purposes in connection with the cattle fair and the rents thereof shall be fixed under clause (iii) of sub-section 92) of section 4;

(b) the manner in which and the rate at which tolls and taxes shall be imposed, assessed and collected;

(c) the manner in which, the fee on payment of which and the authority by which registration certificates and sale certificates shall be issued under section 8;

(d) the form and manner in which, the payment of fee on which and the authority by which licenses referred to in sub-section (2) of section 9 shall be issued;

(e) the manner in which and the fee on payment of which the Deputy Commissioner shall revise an order of suspension or cancellation of a broker's license under sub-section 95) of section 9;

(f) he manner in which distress and sale of animals or movable property shall be made under sub-section (2) of section 9;

(g) the amount for the deposit of which direction may be given under section 15;

(h) the manner in which the Cattle Fair Fund shall be constituted and matters connected with the proper administration of such Fund;

(i) sanitation and control of diseases in a fair area ; and

(j) any other purpose for which rules are required to be or may be made.

(3) Every rules made under this action shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made before each. House of the State Legislature while it is in session for a total period of ten days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions; and if before the expiry of the session in which lit is so laid or the session immediately following, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule of both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be, so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.

The provisions of this Act shall have effect, notwithstanding any thing inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for the time being in force.