(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, nothing in this Act shall affect-
(a) the rights of any local authority to make any excavation for the purpose of laying, making, altering, repairing or renewing any sewer, drain, water course or other work ; or
(b) the rights of any authority appointed under any law for the time being in force for gas or water, electricity, railways, tramways or trolly vehicles to erect any support or make any excavation for the purpose of laying, making, altering, repairing or renewing any main, pipe, sluice, weir, electric line, duct, drain or other apparatus ; or
(c) any land belonging to a railway administration or belonging to or used by a person holding a licence or sanction for the generation, transformation or distribution of electricity under the Indian Electricity Act, 1910 (IX of 1910), when such land is held or used by the railway administration or such person, as the case may be, for the purpose of its railway or for generation, transformation or distribution of electricity, except in so far as they may consent thereto ;or
(d) any land within the limits of a cantonment or a port declared by or under any law made by Parliament or existing law to be a major port ;
(e) any land within the jurisdiction of a local authority under the administrative control of the Central Government :
Provided that-
(i) any restrictions in force under section 9 as to construction, formation or laying out of means of access to, or from, any road, shall without any such consent as aforesaid, extend to any such land as is specified in clause (c) in so far as the restrictions relate to means of access over or under such land to, or from, land other than land so specified ; and
(ii) any consent required for the purposes of this section shall not be unreasonably withheld and the question whether or not the consent so required is unreasonably withheld shall be determined by the State Government and the decision of the State Government on the question shall be final.
(2) Nothing in this Act shall affect any powers and duties of the telegraph authority under the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (XIII of 1885).
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