(1) This Act may be called the West Bengal Religious Buildings and Places Act, 1985.
(2) It extends to the whole of West Bengal.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different areas.
Short title, extent and commencement.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— Definitions.
(a) "Board" means the Board of Revenue, West Bengal;
(b) "building" means a house, shop, hut, shed or other structure or enclosure, whether roofed or not, of whatsoever material constructed, and includes any part of such house, shop, hut, shed or other structure or enclosure, and also includes a wall, verandah, platform, plinth or door step or a tent or other portable and merely temporary shelter;
(c) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(d) "place" means an open space without any building;
185 The West Bengal Religious Buildings and Places Act, 1985.
[West Ben. Act (Section 2.)
(e) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(f) "private building" and "private place" mean respectively a building and a place other than a public building and a public place, and the expressions "private religious building" and "private religious place" shall be construed accordingly;
(g) "public building" and "public place" mean respectively a building and a place, whether or not acquired, consructed or maintained by or at the expense of any specified person or association of persons, which are not for the private or personal use of such person or association of persons and are open to the public in general or any class or section thereof for the purpose, if any, for which they may have been set apart, and the expressions "public religious building" and "public religious place" shall be construed accordingly.
Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this clause,—
(i) "association of persons" shall include a club, committee, society, or organisation, by whatever name called; and
(ii) "specified person" shall mean such person as may be specified by the State Government by notification.
Explanation 11.—For the avoidance of doubts, it is hereby declared that if any building or place, acquired, constructed or maintained by any specified person or association of persons, is a private or personal property of such specified person or association of persons and such specified person or association of persons accepts any offerings, pujas or subscriptions for religious purposes from the public, such building or place shall be deemed to be a public building or public place;
(h) "religious" when used with reference to any building or place shall mean a building (including a temple, mosque, church, chhatri, dargah, Khanquah, math or takiya) or place used or intended to be used for the purposes of religious worship or instruction or offering of prayers (including Bhajan, Kirtan, Stuti or Namaz) or performance of any religious rites by persons of or belonging to any religious creed, sect or class.
186 The West Bengal Religious Buildings and Places Act, 1985.
XXXII of 1985.]
(Sections 3-5.)