Maharashtra Religious Endowments (Reconstruction on Resettlement Sites) Act, 1970

No: 30 Dated: Jul, 15 1970

THE MAHARASHTRA RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS (RECONSTRUCTION ON RESETTLEMENT SITES) ACT, 1970

ACT No. XXX OF 1970

    An Act to provide for the reconstruction of religious endowments acquired for any project on resettlement sites provided by the State Government and for matters connected therewith.

    WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the reconstruction of religious endowments acquired for any project on resettlement sites provided by the State Government and for matters connected therewith ;

It is hereby enacted in the Twenty-first Year of the Republic of India as follows :—

1. Short title, extent and commencement:- (1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Religious Endowments (Reconstruction on Resettlement Sites) Act, 1970.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Maharashtra. 

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may by notification in the Official Gazette appoint in this behalf.

2. Definitions:- In this Act, unless the context requires otherwise—

(a) "acquired endowment" means a religious endowment acquired by the State Government for the purposes of any project ;

(b) "competent authority" means the Collector, and includes any other officer’s appointed by the State Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to perform all or any of the functions of a competent authority under this Act ;

(c) "project" means any irrigation, power or any other project executed or to be executed by the State Government ;

(d) "reconstructed endowment" means a religious endowment which is reconstructed on a resettlement site with the assistance of the compensation money received in respect of any acquired endowment as provided in the Act ;

(e) "religious endowment" means any temple, mosque, church, agyari, synagogue or any endowment created for religious worship or other public religious purpose ;

(f) "resettlement site" means the site provided or to be provided by the State Government for resettling persons who have been or will be displaced by the acquisition of lands for a project ;

(g) "trustee" means a trustee of a religious endowment.

3. Notice of award of compensation:- (1) Whereas due to any project executed or to be executed by the State Government, any religious endowment is acquired by the State Government under any law for the time being in force, and the amount of compensation therefor, and the persons to whom such amount is to be paid, have been finally determined under such law, a notification to that effect shall be published in the Official Gazette and in such other manner as the competent authority may deem fit, stating the name of the religious endowment together with plans or photographs thereof, if any, or any document containing any description or information of such endowment including any instrument of trust in respect thereof, the names of persons including trustees to whom the amount of compensation should be paid and requiring such persons to claim the compensation and pass a receipt in token of having received it within sixty days from the date of the publication of such notification in the Official Gazette. The competent authority shall also cause a copy of such notification to be forwarded to the trustees to whom the compensation is to be paid.

(2) If no trustees are ascertainable or all the trustees do not claim the amount of compensation and pass a receipt signed by all the trustees in token of having received such amount within a period of sixty days aforesaid, then the amount of compensation determined as aforesaid shall vest in the State Govrnment for the purposes of reconstructing the religious endowment on resettlement site as provided in this Act.