The Assam Special Powers (Press) Act, 1960

35 ASSAM ACT No.III OF 1961 'tH.V.. ASSA'M SPECIAL PO'WERS (PRESS) ACT, 1960 \Received the assent of .he President on the 12th January 1961) Published in the Assam Ga<.ette, Extr.rnrdinary. dated the 20th January 1961] An Act to provide tor special pawers to the State Government of Assam to deal more effectively with the printing press for maintenance of law and ordt:r and the p't'eservation of pea,ce and communal -·-·· .. •uony among the people living in the State of Assam. Preamble. WHERE"'S it is expe::l ient to provide by law to the State Government of Assam special powers to deal more effectively with the printing press tor the maintena:'ce of taw and order and the preservation of pe&ce and communal ha1mony among the people liYing in the State of Assam, in the manner herein- .ifttr appearing ; t title. t and commence. lllClll. It is hereb} enacted in the E!eventh Year of the Republic of India follows:- I. (l) This Act may be called the Assam sr~cial Powers (Press) Act, 1960. (2) It cxteod~ to the whule of Assam. (3) It shall come into force at once. to 2 ( 1) If the Gove~nor is u tisfied that a situation COD1rol exists where by the maintenance of communal harmony blica ion. is thn.atene<l and by reason thereof it is necessary to use tne special powers under this Ac t for the purpose of preventing or combating any activity affecting or likely to affect public order, he may make a declara­ tion to that effect by 1.otification in the Official Gazette. (2) Upon' such declaratinn having been made, !he State Government or any authority so authorised in that behalf may, by order in writing addressed to the printer, publisher or editor of any publication or the keeper of a press,- (a) prohibit the printing or publication in any document or any class of documents of any matter relating to a particular subject or class of subjects for a sp ... cified period or in a particular issue or issues of a newspaper or periodic'll: Provided that no such order shall remain in forte for more than two months from th<> making there0f. Unless befo1e the expiry of such period the State Government, by an c, rder made in the like manner, extends it by any period not exceeding two months at a time as it thinks fit so, however, thclt !he total pe1iod of the origin al order does not excetd four months: Provided fur frer that the persons a~;ainst whom the order has beeu made may within ten days of the passing of this order make a representation to the State Government which may on C0'1sideration thereof modify , confirm: er 1escind the order ; (b) require that any mattt:r, co~ering not more than two columns, be published in any particulc.1r issue or issues of a newspaper or periodical on payment ·of adtquate remunerat10n and may wh;Je doing so, specify the period (not exceeding one week) during which such publication shall take place; (c) require any matt:er relating to a particular subject or class of 5ub_iects sh 11 before publica tion be submitted for scruting by an authority a1Jpoimed by the St. te Government in its behalf and published only in accordance with the directiDm given thereat. (3) In the e\·ent of d)subcdience of an order under this section, the State \.iovernment or the authority issuing the order may, without, pr.::judice to the other penalty to ""hich the person g~ilty ot the disobedience is liable under this Act, order the seizure of all copies of any publication concerned and of· any printing press Or Oiber instrument or arparatus US(d in lhC publication. Po 1•e.r. to 3. (I) The State , Government or any authority pr ohibtt.en- authorised by it in this behalf, if satisfied that such try mto . · 1· h f · Assarn of act10n IS necessary or t e purpose o preventmg or newspapers, combating any activity prejudicial to the maintenance et r. of communal harmony affecting or likely to affect public order, may, by order notified in the Official Gazette, prohibit the bringing into Assam of any newspaper, periodical, leaflet or other publication: Provided that no such order shall remain in force for more than two months from the making thereof. Unless before the expiry of such period the State Government, by an order made in the like manner, 1 extends it by any period not exceeding two months at a time as it thinks fit so, however, that the total period of the original order does not exceed four months: p Penalty. 37 Provided further that a person aggrieved by such order may, within ten days of the passing thereof, make a representation to the State Government which may on consideration thereof modity, confirm or rescind the 01;der. (2) In the event of disobedience of an order under this section, the State Government or the authority issuing the order, may, without prejudice to the other penalty to which the person guilty of the d isol)edience is liable under this Act, order the seizure oi' all co pie:1 of any newspaper, periodical, leaflet or other p ublic..ttion concerned. 4. Whoever cont r.:wenes,.disobeys or neglects to com­ ply with any order made or direction given under sectioni. 2 a1.d 3 of this Act, shall, on conviction, be liable to be punished with imprisonment of eithtr descript ion which may extend to one year or with fine upto one thousand rupee3 or witn both. ASSAM ACT No. IV OF 1961 THE ASSAM APPROPR£ATION (No. l) ACT, 1961 (Received the assent of the Governor on the 16th March 1961) ' [Published in the Assam Gazette, Extraordinary, dated the 17th March 1961] An Act to provide for the withdrawal of certain further sums from and out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of Assam to the service of the year ending on the thirty-first day of March 1961. Short title It is hereby eni\cted in the Twelfth year of the Republic of India as follows:- and com· 1. This Act may be called the Assam Appropria- . encement tion (No. 1) Act, 1961. ll'ithdrawal 2. From and ·out of the Consolidated Fund of of Rs.5,69, the Stat! of i\s ~am there may be paid and applied 41 340 from d' h ·fi d · I (3) f 3 ;,d out of sums not excee mg t ose spec1 e rn co umn o 1he Consoli- the Schedule arn•_,untiog in t!1e aggregate to the s 1m dated Fund of five crores, sixty-nine Iakhs, forty-one thousand, ofthe State three hundred and forty rupees towards defraying off Assathm the ~everal charges which will come in course of or e . d' h h" . financial payment during the year en mg o 1 t e t Irty-!irst year 1960-61. <la1· of March, 1961 in respect of the services sp.cified in column (2) of the Scheclule.