Sri Aurobindo Memorial Act, 1972
No: 24 Dated: Aug, 12 1972
THE SRI AUROBINDO MEMORIAL ACT, 1972
West Bengal Act XXIV of 1972
An Act to establish the Sri Aurobindo Bhavan and the Sri Aurobindo Samiti, to perpetuate the memory of Sri Aurobindo.
Whereas it is expedient to establish at 8, Shakespeare Sarani, Calcutta, the place where Sri Aurobindo was born and spent his childhood days, the Sri Aurobindo Bhavan and to constitute a Society for propagating the teachings of Sri Aurobindo amongst the masses so as to help them to raise their mental and moral outlook and to solve their cultural and spiritual problems in the light of such teachings;
It is hereby enacted as follows:-
1. Short title and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Sri Aurobindo Memorial Act, 1972.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(b) "Sri Aurobindo Bhavan" means the house at 8, Shakespeare Sarani, Calcutta, more fully described in the First Schedule to this Act;
(c) "society" means the Sri Aurobindo Samiti of West Bengal, constituted under section 3 of this Act;
(d) "trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram" means the trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry appointed by the Indenture, dated 1st May, 1955, registered as No. 1824 of 1955, in Book No. 1, Volume 486, pages 340 to 347 at the Sub-registry office Vanur, Cuddalore registration district, Madras, being supplemental to the Deed of Declaration of Trust, dated 1st May, 1955. registered as No. 1823 of 1955, in Book No. 1, volume 402, pages 273 to 287 at the sub-registry office Vanur, Cuddalore registration district, Madras;
(e) "working committee" means the working committee constituted under section 11 of this Act.
3. Constitution of the society. - (1) The State Government shall, as soon as may be, constitute, by notification in the Official Gazette, a Society to be called the Sri Aurobindo Samiti of West Bengal.
(2) The Sri Aurobindo Samiti of West Bengal shall, by the said name, be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, to sue and be sued, to enter into contract and to do all things necessary for the purposes of this Act.
4. Composition of the society. - (1) The Society shall consist of the following members, namely:-
(a) the Governor of West Bengal, ex officio,
(b) the Chief Minister of West Bengal, ex officio,
(c) seven persons to be nominated by the Government of West Bengal,
(d) seven persons to be nominated by the trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
(2) The Governor of West Bengal shall be the Chairman of the society.
5. Term of office. - (1) A member of the Society shall hold office, -
(a) if he is an ex officio member, until he ceases to hold the office by virtue of which he becomes a member;
(b) if he is a nominated member, until he dies or resigns or is replaced by the State Government or by the trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, as the case may be, whichever is earlier.
(2) A nominated member may resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Chairman.
(3) A casual vacancy in the office of a member shall be filled by fresh nomination under clause (c) or clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 4, as the case may be.
6. Act of the Society. - (1) All acts done by a majority decision of the members shall be deemed to be acts of the Society.
(2) The Society may appoint a person to act as its Secretary and may also appoint such other persons as it thinks fit as its staff.
(3) Orders for the payment of money on behalf of the Society shall be deemed to be sufficiently authenticated if signed by two members and countersigned by the Secretary of the Society.
7. Property of the Society. - The Sri Aurobindo Bhavan owned and possessed by the State Government shall, with effect from the day on which this Act comes into force, stand transferred to, and vest absolutely in, the Society and the Society shall hold the said property in trust with a view to discharging the functions laid down in section 8 and fulfilling the objects set out in the Second Schedule to this Act.
8. Functions of the Society. - The functions of the Society shall, subject to the other provisions of this Act, be to administer the property referred to in section 7, in accordance with such scheme as may be prescribed consistently with the objects set out in the Second Schedule to this Act.
9. The Society fund. - (1) The Society shall have a fund to be called the Sri Aurobindo Samiti Fund, to which shall be credited-
(a) all sums of money paid or granted by the State Government, either as contributions for the maintenance of the property of the Society referred to in section 7 or for discharging the functions of the Society referred to in section 8,
(b) all other sums of money received by the Society, and
(c) all income derived from any property owned or managed by the Society.
(2) The Fund shall become vested in the Society and shall be under the control, and be held in trust for the purposes, of the Society.
10. Maintenance of accounts by the Society. - The accounts of the Society shall be kept, audited and published in accordance with such rules as may be made by the State Government.