(1) 1[Subject to the
provisions of any rules that may be made in this behalf by the Government,
the Custodian may take such measures as he considers necessary or
expedient for the purpose of administering, 2[imposing], preserving and
managing, any evacuee property 3[and generally for the purpose of enabling
him satisfactorily to discharge any of duties imposed on him by or under
this Act] and may, for any such purpose as aforesaid, do all acts and incur
all expenses necessary or incidental thereto.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions contained
in sub-section (1) the Custodian may, for any of the purposes aforesaid—
(a) carry on the business of the evacuee ;
(b) appoint a manager for the property of the evacuee or for
carrying on any business or undertaking of the evacuee and
authorise the manager to exercise any of the powers of the
Custodian under this section ;
(c) enter or authorise any other person to enter on any land or
premises to inspect any evacuee property ;
(d) take all such measures as may be necessary to keep any
evacuee property in good repair ;
(e) complete any building which has vested in him and which
requires to be completed ;
4[(ee) improve with the previous sanction of the Government any
evacuee property ;
Provided that notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, such
property shall not be restored to the evacuee concerned unless he pays the
cost of the improvements made therein after adjusting the amount that has
accrued to him on account of any income on such property :
Provided further that where such property is land, the Government
may grant him land in exchange or price thereof as may be determined by
the Public Works Department and in the event of exchange, the land granted
in exchange to the evacuee will vest in the evacuee and that formerly owned
by the evacuee will vest in the Government.
Explanation.—“Improvement” means any work by which the value
of the property has been and continues to be increased and
includes amongst other things erection of a building,
renewal or reconstruction of any structure or any alteration
therein or addition thereto as is not of the nature of mere
repairs and directly increase its value, the planting of
trees, the reclaiming, clearing, increasing, levelling or
terracing of land or the construction of works for drainage
of land or for protection of property against floods or from
erosion or from damage by water ;]
(f) require any person to furnish such returns, accounts or other
information in relation to evacuee property and to produce
such documents as the Custodian considers necessary for the
discharging of his duties under this Act ;
(g) take such action as may be necessary for the recovery of any
debt due to the evacuee ;
(h) institute, defend or continue any legal proceedings in any Civil
or Revenue Court on behalf of the evacuee or refer any dispute
between the evacuee and any other person to arbitration or
compromise any claims, debts or liabilities on behalf of the
evacuee ;
(i) raise with the previous sanction of the Government on the
security of the evacuee property such loans as may be
necessary ;
(j) incur any expenditure, including the payment of taxes, duties,
cesses and rates to the Government or to any local authority
or of any amounts due to any employee of the evacuee or of
any debt due by the evacuee to any person ;
(k) pay with previous sanction of the Government to the evacuee
or to any member of his family or to any other person as in
the opinion of the Custodian is entitled thereto any sums of
money
5[out of the funds in his possession ;]
(l) allot in accordance with any rules made in this behalf by the
Government or transfer in any manner whatsoever any evacuee
property, notwithstanding anything contained in any law or
agreement to the contrary relating thereto :
Provided that the Custodian shall not
6[sell or transfer any
7[* *]
property or any business or other undertaking of the evacuee, except with
the previous approval of the
8[Custodian General] ;
9[(ll) allow any displaced person or an authorised allottee to raise
farm-hut on an area not exceeding three marlas on the evacuee
land alloted to him.
Explanation.—For purposes of this clause the words, “Displaced Persons”
and “evacuee land” shall have the same meaning as in
section 2 of the Jammu and Kashmir Displaced persons
(Permanent Settlement)Act, 1971] ;
(m) invest any money held by him in any of the securities approved
by the Government or in the prescribed manner ;
10[(mm) redeem in accordance with law any property held by a person
as mortagee ;
(n) delegate, by general or special order, all or any of his functions
under this Act to such officers or persons as he thinks fit.
1. Substituted by Act XXVI of 1963.
2. Word “imposing” inserted by Act XXXVI of Svt. 2011.
3. Substituted by Act XXIII of Svt. 2007 for “which has vested in him”.
4. Clause (ee) inserted by Act XXXVI of Svt. 2011.
5. Added Act XXIII of Svt. 2007.
6. Substituted by Act XXXII of 1974, s.2.
7. Word “immovable” ommitted by Act XXIII of Svt. 2007.
8. Substituted ibid for “Government”.
9. Inserted by Act XV of 1978, s. 2.
10. Inserted by Act XXVII of 1975, s. 2.