(1) The Government or any officer generally or specially authorised by it in this behalf shall, after verifying certain documents or records, as may be prescribed, issue a photo-pass for the purposes of this Act, in the prescribed format to the actual occupier of a dwelling structure, in existence on or prior to [1 January 2000].
(2) If the photo-pass issued under sub-section (1) is lost or destroyed or defaced, the holder of the photo-pass shall forthwith intimate the loss, destruction or defacement of the photo-pass to the concerned authority which has granted the photo-pass and shall apply, in writing to the said authority with the prescribed fee for issue of a duplicate.
(3) On receipt of an application under sub-section (2), the authority shall, after verifying the records and carrying out such inquiry, if any, as deemed fit, issue a duplicate photo-pass to the applicant with a clear marking on such photo-pass as "DUPLICATE".
(4) If after the issue of a duplicate photo-pass, the original is found, it shall be incumbent upon the applicant to forthwith surrender the same to the authority by which it was issued.
(5) The Government shall maintain in the prescribed form an upto-date Register of the photo-pass issued by it under sub-section (1).