(1) This Act may be called the West Bengal Cold short.
Storage (Licensing and Regulation) Act, 1966. title, extent
(2) It extends to the whole of West Bengal. and commences
(3) It shall come into force on such date or dates and 'neut.
in such area or areas as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different areas.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— Demi.
Lions.
(1) "agricultural produce" includes produce of agriculture, animal husbandry or horticulture, fish, shell fish and all articles of food or drink wholly or partly made from any of them;
(2) "cold storage" means an enclosed chamber insulated in the prescribed manner and mechanically cooled by refrigeration machinery to provide refrigerated condition to things stored therein but does not include refrigerated cabinets and chilling plants having capacity of less than 28.3168 cubic metres;
(3) "cold storage receipt" means a receipt issued by a licensee under section 6 and includes a duplicate receipt issued under section 8;
-79sstrooN-Aisittiltiie The West Bengal Cold Storage (Licensing and Regulation) Act, 1966.
[West Ben. Act (Chapter I.—Preliminary.—Section 2.- 1phapter II.—Licensing of cold storages.—Sections 3, 4.)
(4) "hirer" means a person who hires on payment of the prescribed charges space in a cold storage for storing agricultural produce and enters into a contract or agreement with the licensee for the purpose;
(5) "licensee" means any person to whom or any firm or Co-operative Society to which a licence ie granted under section 3;
(6) "Licensing Officer" means the Director of Agriculture, West Bengal, and includes any other officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Agricultural Marketing empowered by the Director of Agriculture in this behalf;
(7) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(8) "term" means a period of 12 months or less ending on the 31st December of any year.
CHAPTER II.
Licensing of cold storages.
Issue of licence and its cancella, tioni Licensing of cold storages.
3. No person shall, after two months from the date of coming into iforce of this Act, start or carry on the business of storing, nor any such person not being a hirer store, agricultural produce in a cold storage, except under and in accordance with the terms of a licence granted under this Act.