The Punjab New Townships (Street Lighting and Water Supply) Fees Act, 1950

(1) This Act may be called the Punjab New Townships (Street Lighting and Water Supply) Fees Act, 1950. (2) It shall extend to such new townships of the Union territory of Chandigarh as the Central Government may by notification direct. (3) It shall come into force whether prospectively or retrospectively in such townships to which it is extended from the dates to be notified by the Central Government.

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,— (a) ‘house’ means a residential house, house-cum-shop or house-cum-workshop in the new townships and includes houses constructed on plots purchased from Government in the new townships of Union Territory of Chandigarh. (b) “purchaser” means an individual, company, co-operative society or association or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, who has/have purchased and/or occupied a house, or/and plot or plots in the new townships and includes the predecessors and successors of interest of such purchaser; (c) “Deputy Commissioner” means a Deputy Commissioner of the District in which the new township is situate; (d) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (e) “Controlling Authority” means the authority competent to make recovery of the fees under the powers conferred by this Act; (f) “new township” means a colony of houses for the rehabilitation of displaced persons that has been or may hereafter be established by the Central Government.

(1) For the purposes of making the street lighting and/or water supply available to the purchasers of the houses in new townships in Union territory of Chandigarh a Central Government may appoint the Deputy Commissioner or any other officer as controlling authority. (2) A controlling authority may with the sanction of Central Government delegate any of his functions under the Act to any officer of the Central Government within his jurisdiction whether by name or by designation.

(1) The purchaser in a new township shall be liable to pay fees at a rate not exceeding Rs. 5 per mensem per house for street lighting and water supply in the new townships. (2) The fee shall be payable by the purchaser in respect of the house or plot of which it has been occupied by him.

(1) The fee shall be paid by the purchaser before the 5th of the month to which it relates or if it relates to any period before the coming into force of this Act within three months of the notice of demand and in not more than three instalments and shall be deposited in the Treasury or in such other Scheduled Bank as may be specified by the controlling authority from time to time. (2) A purchaser may at his option deposit the fee for the next six months in advance along with the half yearly instalment towards payment of the cost of the house purchased by him, if due. (3) An intimation of the payment having been made shall be given by the purchaser to the controlling authority or such other person as may be appointed in this behalf by the controlling authority. (4) If the fee is not paid on the due date under sub-section (1), interest at a rate not exceeding 6 per cent per annum may be chargeable on the amount due till it is fully paid.

In case of default all arrears of the fee payable to the Central Government under the Act including interest chargeable thereon and costs, if any, incurred may be realised as arrears of land revenue.

(1) The decision of the Central Government as to the levy of the fee and the person liable therefor shall be final and no suit shall lie in any court to question any matter whatever in relation to this Act or the rules made thereunder. (2) The Central Government may by special order exempt any purchaser from the payment of the fee or the interest accrued due, as the case may be.

No prosecution, suit or other proceedings shall lie against the Central Government or any public servant or other authority vested with powers under this Act for anything in good faith done or intended to be done thereunder.

If a purchaser obtains a private water connection in his house, no extra charge for water other than the water supply fee prescribed in section 4 of this Act will be levied but he shall have to bear the cost of service connection and pipes, from the nearest public main to his house together with the necessary departmental charges.

The Central Government may make rules consistent with this Act for the carrying out of all or any of its purposes.