(1) This Act may be called the Puducherry Plant Diseases and Pests Act,
1970.
(2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Puducherry.
(3) It shall come into force on such, 1date as the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
Definitions
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, --
(a) “affected area” means any area declared as such under section 3;
(b) “competent authority” means the officer appointed by the Government to exercise the powers and perform the functions of the competent authority under this Act;
(c) “Government” means the Administrator of the Union territory of Puducherry appointed by the president under article 239 of the Constitution;
(d) “Inspecting Officer” means an Inspecting Officer appointed under section 4;
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1. The Act came into force on the 1st day of October, 1971, vide Notification - I, S.O. No. 58 in Extraordinary Gazette. No.103, dated 30th September 1971.
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(e)“noxious weed” means any weed declared as such under section 3;
(f) “Occupier” means person having for the time being the right of occupation of any land, water or premises, or his authorised agent, or any person in actual occupation of the land, water or premises;
(g) “Official Gazette” means La Gazette de L’Etat de Puducherry;
(h) “Plant” includes all horticultural or agricultural crops, trees, bushes or herbs and also includes the seeds, fruits, leaves, trunks, roots, barks or cutting or any other part, of a plant;
(i) “Plant disease” means any disease caused to a plant by fungoid, bacteria, virus, parasite or any other organism declared as such under section 3;
(j) “Plant parasite” means any plant or animal carrying on its existence, wholly or in part, on agricultural crop, plant, tree, bush or herb and declared as such under section 3;
(k)“Plant pest” means any insect or animal, whether vertebrate or tebrate, declared as such under section 3 and includes any animal organism;
(1) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act.
Power to declare affected area, plant diseases, plant pests, plant parasites and noxious weeds
3. Where it appears to the Government that any disease, pest, parasite or weed in any area is injurious to plants or is likely to contaminate water or is obstructive to water-ways and that it is necessary to take measures to eradicate such disease, pest, parasite or weed or to prevent its introduction into, or spread or reappearance in, any area in the Union territory of Puducherry (hereinafter referred to as the “Territory”), the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that area to be an affected area for such period as may be specified therein and may, with reference to such area, also
(a) declare that such disease, pest, parasite or weed is a plant disease, plant pest, plant parasite or noxious weed;
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(b) prohibit or restrict the movement or removal of any plant, soil or manure from one plant to another;
(c) prohibit the plantation or growing of any plant which is, or is likely to be, injurious to other plants; and
(d) direct that such other preventive or remedial measures, as the competent authority may consider necessary, to eradicate, destroy or prevent the introduction into, or spread or reappearance in, the territory of, any plant disease, plant pest, plant parasite or noxious weed, shall be carried out.
Appointment of Inspecting Officer
4. The Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such persons as it thinks fit to be Inspecting Officers for the purposes of this Act and specify the areas in respect of which each Inspecting Officer shall exercise jurisdiction.
Power to issue directions