Light House Act, 1927
No: 17 Dated: Sep, 21 1927
THE LIGHTHOUSE ACT, 1927
ACT NO. 17 OF 1927
An Act to Consolidate and amend the law relating to the provision, maintenance and control of lighthouses by the Government in India.
WHEREAS it is expedient to consolidate and amend the law relating to the provision, maintenance and control of lighthouses by the Government in India;
It is hereby enacted as follows:--
Preliminary
1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Indian Lighthouse Act, 1927.
(2) It extends to the whole of India
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,---
(a) "Customs-collector" means an officer of customs exercising the powers of a Customs-collector under the Sea Customs Act, 1878, and includes any person appointed by the Central Government to discharge the functions of a Customs-collector under this Act;
(b) "district" means an area defined as a district for the purposes of this Act under section 3;
(c) "general lighthouses" means any lighthouse which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be general lighthouse for the purposes of this Act;
(d) "lighthouse" includes any light-vessel, fog-signal, buoy, beacon, or any mark, sign or apparatus exhibited or used for the guidance of ships;
(e) "local lighthouse" means any lighthouse which is not a general lighthouse;
(f) "local lighthouse authority" means a State Government local authority or other person having the superintendence and management of a local lighthouse;
(g) "owner" includes any part-owner, character, or mortgagee in possession and any agent to whom a ship is consigned;
(h) "port" means any port as defined in the Indian Ports Act, 1908, to which that Act extends; and
(i) words and expression used in this Act and not otherwise defined have the same meaning respectively as in the Indian Merchant Shipping Act, 1923.
3. Appointment of officers. - The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,---
(a) Define areas to be districts for the purposes of this Act;
(b) appoint a person to be the Superintendent of Lighthouses in each district;
(c) appoint a person to be the Chief Inspector of Lighthouses in India; and
(d) appoint persons to be Inspectors of Lighthouses.
4. Advisory Committees. -(1) The Central Government shall appoint a Central Advisory Committee and shall consult it in regard to---
(a) the erection or position of lighthouses or of any works appertaining thereto;
(b) additions to or the alteration or removal of, lighthouses;
(c) the variations of the character of any lighthouses or of the mode of use thereof;
(d) the cost of any proposals relating to lighthouses; or
(e) the making or alteration of any rules or rates of dues under this Act.
(2) The Central Government may, if it thinks fit, appoint an Advisory Committee for any district for the purpose of advising in regard to any of the matters specified in sub-section (1) in so far as the interests of the district are affected thereby.
(3) Advisory Committees shall consist of persons representing interests affected by this Act or having special knowledge of the subject-matter thereof.