The Gazette of India
EXTRAORDINARY PART II—Section 2 PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 47] NEW DELHI, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1963/27 KARTIKA, 1885
RAJYA SABHA
The following Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on the
18th November, 1963: —
BILL NO. XXXIV OF 1968
A Bill to amend the Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fourteenth Year of the
Republic of India as follows: —
1. (1) This Act may be called the Durgah Khawaja Saheb
(Amendment) Act, 1963.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Govern-
ment may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
Short title and com- mence- ment.
of 1955. 2. In the Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955, section 14 shall be re- numbered as sub-section (1) thereof, and after sub-section (i) as so re-numbered, the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely:—
Amend- ment of section 14.
"(2) Whoever solicits or receives any nazars or offerings in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one thousand rupee.".
746 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINABY [PART II—SEC. 2JSTATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
The Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955, was enacted to provide inter alia for proper control and efficient management of the Durgah Endowment as defined in the Act.
2. A large number of pilgrims who come to offer prayers at the Durgah Khawaja Saheb, Ajmer, make offerings of nazars in the form of cash or in kind, which are meant for the Durgah Khawaja Saheb and form part of the Durgah Endowment. The Act expressly pro- vides in sections 2(d) (v) and 14 that only the Nazim or a person authorised by him is entitled to receive on behalf of the Durgah nazars and offerings given by the pilgrims. In contravention of these express provisions of the Act, some individuals have been collecting the nazars and offerings made at the shrine and have been misap- propriating them. In the absence of a specific penal clause in the Act it has not been found possible to take action against them in order to prevent them from doing so. The acceptance of the offerings and nazars which are a source of substantial income to the Durgah by unauthorised persons affects the interests of the shrine. It is, therefore, considered necessary to make a specific provision for penalising persons who solicit or receive nazars and offerings meant for the Durgah in an unauthorised manner. The present Bill seeks to amend the Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955, by providing for such a penal clause for this purpose.
NEW DELHI; GULZARI LAL NANDA.
The 1th October, 1963.
B. N. BANERJEE,