M.P. Famine Relief Fund Act, 1937

M.P. Famine Relief Fund Act, 1937

The M.P. Famine Relief Fund Act, 1937

M.P. Act No. 3 of 1937

mp261

Published in the Central Provinces Gazette, dated the 12-1-1937.

An Act to provide for the establishment and maintenance in Madhya Pradesh of a Fund called Madhya Pradesh Famine Relief Fund, for utilization on occasions of famine and of distress caused by serious drought, flood or other natural calamities in the said province.

Whereas it is expedient to provide for the establishment and maintenance in Madhya Pradesh of a Fund for utilization on occasions of famine and of distress caused by serious drought, flood or other natural calamities in the said province :

And whereas the Governor-General in Council has, with the sanction of the Secretary of State for India in Council, amended Schedule IV to the Devolution Rules made under the Government of India Act, so as to permit the withdrawal of the balance standing at the credit of the Provincial Government concerned, in the Famine Relief Fund :

And whereas the previous sanction of the Governor required by Section 80-C of the Government of India Act, has been obtained for the passing of this Act :

It is hereby enacted as follows-

1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the [Madhya Pradesh] Famine Relief Fund Act, 1937.

[(2) It [extends] to and shall be in force in the whole of Madhya Pradesh.]

2. Definition. - In this Act, "Fund" means Madhya Pradesh Famine Relief Fund established under Section 3.

3. Establishment of Madhya Pradesh Famine Relief Fund. - The State Government shall, on the commencement of [the Madhya Pradesh Extension of Laws Act, 1958 (23 of 1958)], establish in and for Madhya Pradesh a Fund called "Madhya Pradesh Famine Relief Fund." The Fund shall consist of-

(i) the securities of the Central Government mentioned in Section 4;

(ii) the interest which may from time to time accrue on such securities;

(iii) such other sums as the State Government may, from time to time, contribute to the Fund under sub-section (2) of Section 7 or otherwise and

(iv) the interest which may from time to time accrue on the securities of the Central Government in which the sums to the credit of the Fund may be invested or re-invested under Section 6.

[4. Withdrawal of the Famine Relief Fund and its investment in the securities of the Central Government. - (1) The State Government shall, on the commencement of the Madhya Pradesh Extension of Laws Act, 1958 (23 of 1958), invest a sum of forty lakhs of rupees in the securities of the Central Government in the name of the Secretary to the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Finance Department.

(2) Such sum as may fall to the share of this State under Section 80 of the State Reorganisation Act, 1956 (37 of 1956) from and out of the investments made by the pre-Reorganisation State of Madhya Pradesh in the Famine Relief Fund of that State shall also be re-invested in the manner provided for in sub-section (1) and shall until so reinvested be taken into account for purposes of determining the balance under Section 7.]

5. Purposes for which the fund may be utilized. - the Fund shall not be expended except upon-

(i) the relief of famine in [Madhya Pradesh] and

(ii) the relief of distress caused by serious drought, flood or other natural calamities in the said State :

Provided that when the Fund exceeds [Seventy five] lakhs of rupees, the State Government may utilize the excess for any of the following purposes, namely :-

(i) to meet the expenditure on works for the prevention of famine in the said State;

(ii) to grant loans to cultivators either under the land Improvement Loans Act, 1883 (XIX of 1883), or under the Agriculturists Loans Act, 1884 (XII of 1884), or for relief purposes and to meet irrecoverable balance of such loans;

(iii) in the repayment of ordinary debt.

6. Investment and re-investment of amounts not require. - The State Government shall from time to time invest or re-invest in securities of the Central Government all sums to the credit of the Fund which may not be immediately required for any of the purposes mentioned in Section 5.

7. Accounts of the Fund and making up of the deficiency in the Fund. - (1) The accounts of the fund shall be made up at the end of each financial year, the securities belonging to the Fund being valued at their market value on the last day of such year.

(2) If the accounts so made up show that the balance in the Fund at the end of such year falls short of [Seventy-five] lakhs of rupees the deficiency shall be made up from the revenues of the State :

Provided that if the deficiency exceeds [Seven] lakhs of rupees, it may be made up in annual instalments, the amount of each instalment except the last not being less than [Seven] lakhs of rupees.