(1) No person shall wilfully cause, or allow any vehicle or animal in his charge to cause any damage to any highway.
(2) Where in contravention of sub-section (1) any damage has been caused to any highway, the Highway Authority shall have the damage repaired and the expenses involved shall, without prejudice to any other action that may be taken against the person responsible for the contravention of sub-section (1), be recovered from him in accordance with the procedure provided in section 25 in so far as that procedure is applicable.
CHAPTER VIII Penalties
55. Whoever wilfully disobeys any direction lawfully given by any person or authority empowered under this Act to give such direction, or obstructs any person or authority in the discharge of any functions that such person or authority is required or empowered under this Act to discharge, or, being required by or under this Act to supply any information, withholds such information or gives information which he knows to be false or which he does not believe to be true shall, on conviction, be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees.
56. Whoever erects, alters or extends any building, or makes any excavation, or constructs any means of access to or from a highway or does any other work in contravention of the provisions of section 9, shall, on conviction, be punished-
(a) with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, and
(b) with further fine which may extend to one hundred rupees for each day after such conviction, during which the offending structure or work is not removed demolished or cleared and the site not restored to its original condition.
57. Whoever-
(a) occupies or makes any encroachment on any highway in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 21, or
(b) fails to comply with the notice served on him under sub-section (1) of section 23 for no valid reason, shall, on conviction, be punished–
(a) for a first offence with fine which may extend to two hundred and fifty rupees,
(b) for a subsequent offence in relation to the same encroachment with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees plus a further fine not exceeding fifty rupees per day on which such occupation of the highway or encroachment continues.
58. Whoever in contravention of sub-section (1) of section 54 wilfully causes, or allows any vehicle or animal in his charge to cause any damage to any highway, Prevention and rectification of damaged highway.
Disobedience of orders, instructions and refusal to give information, etc.
Contravention of restrictions relating to access or erecting any building, etc.
Unauthorised occupation of highway.
Causing damage to highways.
shall, on conviction, be punished with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees.
59. Whoever contravenes any provision of this Act or of any rule or order made thereunder shall, if no other penalty is provided for the offence, on conviction, be punished-
(a) for a first offence with fine which may extend to fifty rupees,
(b) for a subsequent offence with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees,
60. Any offence committed under this Act may be compounded by the Highway Authority and if any proceedings have been instituted against any person in any criminal court, then on the terms of the compromise being carried out, the composition shall be held to amount to an acquittal and in no case shall any further proceedings be taken against such person or any property of such person with reference to the same facts.
CHAPTER IX MISCELLANEOUS.
61. Every police officer shall forthwith furnish information to the nearest Highway Authority, or the nearest officer subordinate to the Highway Authority of any offence coming to his knowledge which has been committed against this Act or any rule made under this Act, and shall be bound to assist the Highway Authority and its officers and servants in the exercise of their lawful authority.
62. Every village headman, village accountant, village watchman or other village official by whatever named called, shall forthwith inform the nearest police station or the nearest Highway Authority or any officer duly authorised by the Highway Authority, whenever he becomes aware that any survey mark or any boundary mark of any highway or any mark showing the building or control line determined in respect of a highway has been destroyed, damaged, removed, displaced or otherwise tampered with, or that any damage to any highway or encroachment on any highway has been made.
63. The Highway Authority may utilize temporarily for other than road purposes land forming part of a highway which is not immediately required for the passage of traffic, and dispose of the produce of such land,
64. Any person wrongfully occupying any land,-
(a) which is a part of a highway,
(b) the occupation of which contravenes any of the provisions of this Act and the said provisions do not provide for the eviction of such person.
General provision for punishment of offences.
Power to compound offences.
Powers and duties of police.
Duties of village officials.
Power to utilize highway for other than road purposes.
Summary eviction.
Shall be summarily evicted by the Collector in the manner provided in the Bombay City Land Revenue Act, 1876, or in the Bombay Land Revenue Code, 1879, as the case may be; on being required to do so by the Highway Authority or any officer authorized in this behalf by the State Government.