The Displaced Persons (Claims) Ordinance, 1950

' . · .. .. ·• ~· . ,. •. . •· < . .. ' . . .. . . . ' • • • I .. / :; ORDINANCE No. ·v of 1950 • . (Ptlblished in the Gazette of India Extraordinary, dated ·the - • • _ 19th January, 1950) . ,; An Ordinance to provide for the registration and verification of claims of ~- displaced persons in respect of i1nmovable property in Paki$tan. • • • •· HER~AS an emerg~ncy . has arisen which 11.1akes it necessary to ~. proy1de for the r~g1strat1on and verification of claims of displaced persons 11} _respect of 1mmo_vable property in Pakistan, with a view to the rehab1l1tat1on of such displaced persons; • • .. . ' : Now, THEREFORE, in e~ercise of the powers conferred by section 42 of · t-'be Gov~rnment of India Act, 1935 (26 Geo. 5, c. 2), the Gove1·nor- ~ !neral 1s pleased to make and promulgate the following Ordinance: - ,, 1. Short ti~le, extent and commencement .. -(l) This Or~inance may be ~if· called the Displaced Persons (Claims) Ordinance, 1950. -- (2) It extends to all the Provinces of India, and also to ·every Acceding ~- ·s~ate to the extent to which the Dominion· Legislature has power to ~ make laws for tha~ State_ with respect to the matters dealt with in ·this ::- Ordinance.. • ✓ t ' . l ' i . ·(3) It shall come into force at once. • ~, -. • 2. Defi~tions.-In this Ordinance, unless there· is anything repugnant. in the subJect or context,- .. . . • ' .• ... .. ' ► : . : . . ... '.. . . ... . . • • . . . .. -. . . · (a) ''claim'' means the assertion 1 0£ a right ... to the ownership of, or to any in t~rest in,- • . . (i) any immovable property in _West Pakistan which is situate within an urban area, or which, being situate elsewhere, either forms part of the assets of an industrial undertaking or . comprises one or more buildings the· estimated cost of construc­ ting which at the present prevailing rates is not less than Rs. 20,000; or • • . • . ' • (ii) any, agricuitwaI land in any part of West Pakistan other than West Punjab; • . . • (b) ''displaced person'' -means any person who, on account of the setting up of the Dominions of India and Pakistan, o~ on account . of. civil disturbances or the fe~r of such disturbances 1n any area now forming part of Pakistan, has, after the 1st day of March, 1947 left or been displaced from, his place of residence in such area and wh~ has been subsequently residing in India and includes any person who is r~sident in any place in India and who f~r that reason i~ unable or has been made unable to manage, supervise or control any immovable property .belonging to him in Pakistan; . ( c) ''prescribed'' means prescribed by rules made under this . Ordinance; , • (d) ''urban area'' means any area within the limits of a corpora­ tion, a.municipality, a municipal committee, a notified area committee, a town area, a small town committee or a cantonment, as those limits existed on the 15th day of August, 1947: • (e) ''West Pakistan'' means the territories of Pakistan excludinR the P~ovince of East Bengal~ · . • • • . Prioe a1ina .1 01 l½d, • • ·' • • ' - ·-. • • • I I ' • . . . ~~=~~~-:::.--,,.,..···- - -' · - · - - --, - - , ,. 4 1 ...... . . _ .... ..,. - · ~ · - - · ·· · - • - • . .. , ... --:: . ..... ••:- -~- ;·" ·--·- • ----!" •. ·~· ' • • . . .. ' . • - ... , . . . . .. . • ,· , .. . .. - - • .. ' ·. • ·. . .. . . ' . •· . . . . . • , .. I . . • . . . ' . :. . . . .. : . . ·. 2 . . · ·_ .. • Displaced Pe1·sons (Claims) . [01t·D. \1 • • : • 3. Power to appoint Registe~ng Offlcers.-T~e Central ·aove:ntnent may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint a? m~ny Reg1sterin Officers as may be necessary for ~he. pur!?ose of ~egist~rin~ claims anS every Registering Officer shall exer~1se ~1s functions _ in such area 0 Rfeas as may be specified in the not1ficat1on. • .. _ r • 4. Power to appoint the Chief Claims Com1nissi~ner, etc. •(1) Tb Central Government may, by notification in the. ?fficial Ga~et!e, appoin! a Chief Claims Commis·sioner, and as many Claims Com1!11ss1on~rs and Claims Officers as may be necessary f?r the . purpose of discharging the duties imposed on them by or under this ~rd1nance, an~ may, by genera] or special or<ler, provide for the distribution or alloc:.1t1on of work to be ., performed by them under this Ordinance. · . (2) Subject to the provisions of this Ordinance! ~I! Claims Comm~ sioners and Claims Officers shall discharge the dut1e~ imposed on them by or under this Ordinance under the general superintendence and con .. ~ trol of the Chief Claims Commissioner. . • 5. Registration of claims.-(1) A displaced person may, within such time and in such form as may· be prescribed, submit . his _claim to a Registering Officer in the . prescribed manner for the reg1strat1on of such claim. ~ . (2) On receipt of a claim under sub-section (1), the Registering Officer shall register the claim in the prescribed m~anner and forward the rele- vant papers to the Central Government. -· / . 6. Jurisdiction of Claims· Oflicers.-(1) A Claims Officer shall have • Jurisdiction to decide such cases or such classes pf cases • as may~ bv general or special order, be transferred to him by the Central GovE'rn. _ .-~ . . • . . ment or by an officer empowered in this behalf by the Central Govern• : · . · . ·· ment. • • • • . . • • . . . . · . . (2) A Claims Officer shall hold a summary inquiry into the cases transferred to him and, after taki11g such evidence and examining such documents, as may be necessary, pass~ such orders as he thinks fit in rela­ tion to the verification of the claim and the 0valuation of such claim. . . ' . . . .. . . , . . , . . • (3) The decision of the Claims Officer shall be fi11al: ; . ., • •. Provided th~t the Chief Clai~s Commission~r may call for the recor~.,:\ • · of any case which has been decided by the Claims Officer and may makt ·J such order in the. case as he thinks· flt. · . . -.', ' .. . . , . - • • • 7. Powers of Claims Officers.-(1) A Claims Office1' shall have the Jo • - . same powers as are vested in a civil Court unde1~ the Code of Civil . • .. · • Proce~ure, 1908 (Act V of 1908), when trying a suit in respect of th~ ·-• • following matters, namely_: - • . .• • t • • - • . . . . ) ' . . . (~). sum!?oning and enforcing the attendapce of any pe1·son ari·a' : . , . . . ' . . ' . . . . . • ' . . - I • . . . : , , · e·xam1n1ng him on oath; ' . . . (b) requiring the discovery· and production of any document; . (c)· r~quisitioning any public z:ecord from any Court or office; • · .: ·/·) . . . • . ' . ' .· • (d) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses· • ' , : ' ~ ' ' . ' '> •. ~(e) appointing guardians or next friends of any person who is .. • ✓; a minor or of unsou~d mind; . - . . • If) any_ other matter which may be prescribed. . , f .. • . . . .. . . ' . • • . . . . . . . . ,. ' ' . • ' ) I., :' : .. \; • ., I • • .,. . . . • µ ... , I • ,• \ ~ " ', . .•: . • • • ' j . . ' • . •. . '!J· . .. . . . .. ' •• . . • . f r •• ···~"-•-•••-- "·•• •......--, ' ' • • • ~ •, - , • ._,. , .,, ,., ,.. ' • ' • . ,, _ ... ..,..,._ .................... ,---- .. ,,.... ......... - !~t :- ot 1950] Displaced Persons (Claims) _ , 3 • ~i r" • (2) A C~aims qmcer may,_ i~ he so thinks fit, and shall, if so require,f ·,q "' bY the Chief C~aims. Co~miss10ner, appoint one or more persons a6 0t assessors to advise him m any proceeding before him. (3) A Claim~ Officer shall be deemed to be a civil Court for the ~e purposes of sections 480 and 482 <?f the Code of Criminal Procedure, 189~ ~! (Act V of 1898), and ~n~ I?roceedmg ~efore any such Claims Officer shall lq be deemed to be a Judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections ie . 193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860). . ~ ' ~- ' 8. Power to transfer c&.ses.-The Central Government or the ··chief Claims Comm~ssioner may, by_ order in writing, at any stage transfer ~. an:V case pending before a Claims Officer to another Claims Officer and 1 ·• W(!. Claims Officer, to whom the case is so transferred, may subject to l'l • ~ special direction in the order of transfer, proceed fro~ the stage 1 _ ,r-,t which it was so transferred. . '1J' 9. Certain officers to be public servants.-The Chief Claims Commis- • ·sioner and all Claims Commissioners, Claims Officers and Registering h f Officers appointed under this Ordinance shall be deemed to be public • servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (Act XL V of 1860). • . 10. Bar of jurisdiction of civil Courts.-N o civil Court shall have jurisdiction in respect of any matter which · the Chief Claims Commis­ .sioner or the Claims Officer is empowered by or under this Ordinance • to determine, and no injunction shall l;>e granted by any Court or other authority in respect of any action taken or to be taken jn pursuance of any power conferred by or under this Ordinance. 11. Protection of action taken in good faith.-No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the Central Government or any person appointed under this Ordinance in respect of anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done in· pursuance of this Ordinance "'r of any, rules or orders made thereunder. ' . . 12. Penalty.-:Any person who- • , I ,' . . (a) submits, in respect of his claim under this Ordinance, any ' ' .. • ... :·. infor. rnation _which he • knows to be false or does not believe to. be • . true, or • ~ < ~ .(b) submits a claim in respect of the same property to more · f ' ·- · than one Registering ·Officer, • ¥· shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years, . t·' or with fine, or with both. ): • • 13. Penalty for abetment.-Whoever abets any of the offences punish- ah~ under this Ordinance shall be pun·shable wit~ . the punishment p l,lided for · the offence. .. ,,, • 14. Cognizance of offences by Courts.-No Court shall take cognizance I ~. of any offence punisha. b. le und. er this Ordinance save upon complaint in • writing made by an officer authorised by the Central Government by . general or special order in this behalf. · • . • • 15. Forfeiture of claims to any benefit for rehabilitation purposes.­ i-t- Any person who co:r:nmits an offence punishable under this Ordinance " may, without prejudice to any other penalty provided for in this Ordi- nance, forfeit his claim to any benefit for rehabilitation purposes~ to which he would otherwise be entitled or be required to surrender any · . benefit received by him for rehabilitation pl,ll'poses. • . • ~ • , I . I l ' I I ·, 1 J .. I l ' ! , I ' I ' ,. I • • . .. • • • .. • • . .. • • , , • • ' \ . • ◄ , . Displaced Persons ·(Claims) . [ORD. v ot 1950] ( . , 16. Delegatio~ of powe~.-(1) The Central Gove~nment ~ay, ,~i : general '!r special order, ~1rect that any po~~r exe~c1sable by 1t undbs ••. this Ordinance shall, subJect t(! such conditions, if ~y, as rnay er • • specified in the order, be exer<:_isable also by the Chief Clairns Co be\; . . Jl}... ' 1,.11ss1oner. } • · _(2) Subject to t~e proyisions of ~hi.s Ordinance and the rules ma ( thereunder, the Chief Claims Commissioner .. may dele~a!e all or any de;: his ~owers under th~s Ordi~ance to an:Y ~laims Commissioner as rnay bf;~ specified by the Chief Claims Commissioner. e~ ' ~ ~7. P~we~ to make ~les.--(1) The Central Government may, b ::~ • notifi~ation .in the official Gazette, make rules to carry out the purposey'l of this Ordinance. • s.; foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the followin e ••• matters, namely: - , 1 . (a) the form and maI?-ller.in which claims may be submitted by,i, dISplaced persons to Registering Officers; 4 ' l (b) the manner in which claims may be registered; r _ (c) the manner in which any inquiry m~y be held by Clallri$( Officers; the procedure to be followed by Claims Officers; ~~: . • ( d) tpe powers ves~ed in ~ civil C~urt. which may be exercisedt • by a Cla1ms Officer while holding any 1nqu1ry under this Ordinance·,}·:· (e) 9.!1-Y Ot~er matter which has to be, or may be, prescribed~ - under this Ordinance. :i::- • . ": " . , • .. • ( • I , ' • ' .. - , ' • ., • ' , . .. ' ' ' ' • ' : . . , . . . . .. •.·• . . . . , ' : .. : ...~ . . . . . . i"· .. · . . .. , . GIPD-SI-1058 M of Law~20-9-50-2,000 \ . .. ... ~ : ·~:. . . ·~ • .":'-:;. . :·.'1 . • (:. , ' · .. " , . . , , .