The Kerala Public Ways (Restriction of Assemblies And Procession) Act, 2011

A ·cr fact) . © Reg No rorg1 mm.Jm Government of Kerala m m KLITV(N)/12/2009-2011 adh!l) gJ <T\l c£)6)::J 2011 v (f)cruoo adha>~ EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY ~Wldh::HOldhCllOCD.>l Ln.Jffi.l1 00@~5 3 C Ulm 3e m co) llunn·ananthapuram, 18th February 2011 Vol. LVI } Fnday 2011 6)nf1l6Tll&OJro1 18 ----- No } 36H 56 CID1ro&rummnnJ&roo, 29th \1agha 1932 mn11m OJ::Jf'l_\0 1932 '29 6lOJ~1 Ol::Jnelo 7' GOVERNMENf OF KERALA . Law (Legislation-E) Dcpartm{'nt NOTIFICAfiON , 18th FC'hruary, 101 I No 3756'Lcg. E 1120 11 /Law Daled, T1umvananJhapuran.,__ ________ 29th Magha, 1932 The followmg Act of the Kerala State Leg1~lature IS hereby publtshed for general mfonnat10n The Hill a~ pa'ised by the LegJslalJve.,Assembly recetved the as'>ent of the Governor on the 18th day 0f February, 20 II By order of the Governor, • K MADHIJ<;IJIMNMJ NAIR Spec tal Seu ctmy (La-...~ • ORINTIDII1'.!D Pl'llLI~llfD B\'lHI <I PLPI'-l["<f'r'., 01 vciV~R1'/MINT PRI_~<;f\ AT 11(\ GOVfi\1\MfN I (~loJ fRill 1'1\f\S PHPIJVJ\NJ\NTII~"URIIM 20' I 2 ACT 9 OF 2011 DIF KERALA PUBLIC WAYS (RJ-:.STRJC llON Of ASSI:MBLU~s AND PROCLSSIONS) 1\C I, 2011 An Act. to pr011de for the protec.twn oj public wa_ts (or unoh~truc..tcd movement bv the puhhc and j01 lmpo\ltlOil of rea.\Onah/C' re~lrictwm on the ught~ of any !Jectton of tht' puhhc to m \t'mble and (o//ecttvel) move theu'on and to regulate proces!Jton through publn wa)'~ and }or matte/' (OrtllC'Ued therewllh or mudental thereto Preamble- Will RCA'>, It I\ cxpl!dtel)t to provtde for the protectiOn of public ways for unob~tructed movement by the public , AND WHLRt AS, It 1~ nccc!>.,ary to tmpoo;e redc;onahle restnct10ns on the nghts of any section of the public to assemble or move collccttvely on any public way, AND WHrRI:AS, 1t ts necc~sary .to regulate procc!>Ston through public ways and for matters cormected therewtth or mctdental thereto ~ Be tt enacted 111 the Stxty-c;ccond yc,n o..f, the Republtc of lndta dS follows · Sh01 t tllle, extent and commenwment --(I) Thts Ad may be called the Kerala Publtt Way!> (Rcstnctwn of Ao;scmblics a!_1d ProcessiOns) Act, 2011 (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala (3) It shall come mto force at once 2 Defimtwm --(I) In tillS Act, unlco;s the context othcrwto;e requtres - (a) 'carnage way' m..:ans the port10n of the pubhc way whtch ts mtended for the movement of vchtclcs or carnage" of dny type , (b) 'footpath' meano; any area composed m a public way earmarked for movement of pedestnan havmg a wtdth of not l~ss than one meter but not exceedmg three meters on ctther stdc of the public way, after leavmg suffic.cnt o;pace for the movement of vehtcle~ , • (c) 'licence' mcdns a ltcencc ts!->ued under !>cctwn 5 , (d) 'public way' mcludc.., any htghv. ay. bndge, causewa), road, Jane, footpath. ~quare, courtyard. garden-path, channel or pd!>'>dgc accc~stblc to the pubhc, whtch t<; not owned by a pnvatc person , 3 (c) 'road-margm' means the port1on of the pubhc WJY wh1ch extends outwards on each s1d'e from the footpath towards the outer edge of the public way (2) . Words and expressiOn'> used and not dcfmcd 111 th1s Act, but defined 111 the Indtan Penal Code, 1860 (Central Act 45 of 1860) or m the Code of Cnmmal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974) or the Motor Vch1clc~ Al.l, 198if (Central Act 59 of 1988) or m the Kerala Pohce Act, 20 II {8 of 20 II) ~hall have the mcanmg~. re<;pectlvcly, a<;s1gned to them 1n those Acts 3 R1ght' of.thf' p11bftc for movement on puhlzc way~- On all puhhc wayo; the public ~hall have, subJect to the laws governmg the control of traffic and safety of public. the nght to unobstructed movement by vchtc:lc<> along ' carnageways and on foot along footpath~ 4 1'1 oh1lntmn of ubstruc.twn on public 11 a_y~ - (I) No per~on shJJI cause any obo;tructJOn by conductmg any busmess or mcctmg or assembly or proccs~10n or demonstration on any public way or pdrt thereof (2) No mcctmg or assembly shall be conducted so a~ to obstruct any portion of the carnageway or footpath (3) No dcmonstratton or procc~~10n o;I1Jil be conducted m ~Ul-h a mJnner thJt the cnttrc carnageway or free flow of traffic IS fully obstructed 5 Regulauon of <undue! of fe~llval.~. n\sembltc~. mc.:tlllg~ etc -(1) ~otw1th~wndmg anythmg contamttd m sectiOns 3 and 4, the DI<>tnct Pohcc Ch1ef may Impose r::Jsonable rcstnct1on~ on the nght of unobstructed movement of the public along public wayo; for a penod not exceedmg twenty four hours m .. any particular area, m all or any of the followmg mstanccs, nam<!ly - ,) · (a) for the conduct of rehgwus or natwnal' festivals, wh1ch are cu~tomary and have been e~tabhshed by traditiOn and for the conduct of such festivals of ~OCial, cultural or pubhc Importance which arc declared to be <>o by _the D1stnct Magi..,trate , (b) for sccunty of the State or mdJvJdual<; wh1ch•m the opm10n of the D1stnct Pohce Ch1ef neces:-.llatc ~uch restm:t1ons , · (c) for the conduct of public a~o;embhcs or mcetmg!> , and (d) for the conduct of public demonstrallon~ and processiOns (2) In case~ where d d1~pute anscs a~ to whether a festival 1~ traditional 0r customary the authont; empowered to Impose ~uch rcstnctwn!> may dcudc the matter havmg due reg.-nd to the facts and Circumstances of each case 4 (3) Any person, association, orgamzat1on, trust or body wli1ch reqUires the usc of any port1on of any pubhc way for any purpose referred under sub . sectwn ( l ), ~hall apply to the D1stnct Pollee Ch1cf at least seven dav. s m advance for a hccncc for such usc and furn1sh o;uch details as may be spcc1ficd by the D1stnct Pollee Ch1cf and on rcmlttmg such fcc ao; may be specified by the Government by general or o;pec1al order Prov1ded that no fcc shall be lcv1cd f01 mattc:rs referred to 111 clauses (a) ' diH.I (b) of sub-sectwn (!) Prov1dcd further that the D1stnct Pohcc ChLCf may entertam an apphcatwn m relaxation of the time hm1t spcc1fied under !\Ub-~ectiOn (3) for -:uffic1cnt and genume reasons (4) (a) On rccetpt of an applicatiOn under c;ub-o;eCliOll (3) the D1stnct Pollee Clucf shall, after due constderatwn of the same, publish a not1cc regardmg the nature, durat1on and other deta1b of the rcstnctwns 1mpoo;cd on the nght of the publtc for unobo;tructed movement at any location or locality , ... (b) All nottce" under clause (a) !\hall spcc1fy altcmattvc routes or fac1htll!S avatlablc to the public for the duratiOn of the obstruction and 1t shall be the duty of the D1stnct Pollee Clucf to deploy such pohcc ~trcngth ;n 1 the area, free of cost or partly or fully at the cost of the hcensec~ a-. may be dec1dcd by the D1stnct Pohcc Ch1cf havmg regard to the pubhc 'tmportance of I I the event and subject to such gllldchnes as may be tl>sucd by Government from 1 ' ttme to t1me for mamtammg public order. catenng to emergcnc1es and m1t1gatmg the d1fficulttes to the pubhc, ' I ~ (c) The Dt'>tnct Pollee Chtcf shall 1ssuc a hcence to the person, •' • assoc1at10n, orgamzat10n, trust or body wh1ch have apphcd for use of the pubhc way, 1mpoc;mg :-ouch condttwns tn the licence, dS he may deem JUSt and t reasonable (5) Notw1thstandmg anythmg contatncd 111 th1<> sectton. the Dtstnct Pol~ce Chtef l>hall not pet mll any erectiOn of any ~tructurc c1thcr of a 1 permanent or temporary nature on any puhltc way unless II IS dllov.cd 111 wnttng I by the appropnatc authonty <)f the depJrtmcnt m charge of the upkeep and mamtcnancc of the parttcular public way 5 (6) 1 he fcc<; levied under th1s Act, after deductmg the cost of deployment of police per~onnel, 1f any, shall be deposited Ill the Cnmmal Justice MJ~cellancous Expenses fund mamtamed under section 127 of the Kerala Pohce Act, 2011 (8 of 2011) ' (7) Nothmg m th1s sectiOn <>hall be deemed to compel the D1stnct Pohce Ch1ef to perm1t any demonstrat1on or proce<~S!On or a'>sembly or meetrng or festival, whe1e he IS sat1sf1cd that for cons1derat10ns of publtc safety, J convemence or-sccunty, ·such act1v1ty cdnnot be allowed (8} The D1:,tncr Poltce Chtef may extend the durat1on of re<>tnct10ns 1m posed under sub-sec~10n ( 1) to fifteen days With the concurrence of the Dl<>tnct Magl'>trate and for a penod more than fifteen days With the concurrence ' of the Government , 6- Pumshment for ojjen(e~ -(I) Any pers~n who cause-; any obstructton on any public way othcrw1sc than permitted undq a hcence 1c;sued under th1s - Act or any person who abet'> or mvolves m such act1v1ty or any person who ... • carnes on any actiVIty m VIOlation of the cond1110ns of a ltcencc shall on conVICtion be pumshable w1th 1mpnsonmcnt for a term wh1ch may extend to one ye~r and w1th fine proportiOnate to damage and mconveme~cc caused by such ob<;truct!On or w1th both (2) All offences under th1s Act shall be cogmzable and ba1lable (3) An offence under tim Act <>hall be cmnpoundable by a Jud1c1al ' Mag1'>trate havmg JUnsd!Ctlon to try. the offence ·' 7 Exemption- -Nothmg m th1s Act shall apply to a funeral proce!><>lon or any actiOn undertaken by the publtc or any member or group thereof Ill good f,uth to prevent danger ansmg from any natural or man made calam1ty, d1sa<;ter or dCCident 8 Delegatwn of powers --The D1stnct Poll.e e Ch1ef may, with the . approval of the Government, delegate any of h1s powers under th1s Act to an ,. off1ccr not below the rank of Sub-DIVISIOnal Pollee Off1ccr w1th1n h1s JUn'>d!chon 9 Power to make nde~ -(1) The Government may. by notliicat10n m the ga?.cttc tnake rules not mcon:,1stent With the prov1s1ons of till'; Act to carry out the purpo!>CS of th1s Act ~/:ro9!11 6 (2) In part1cula"r and Without preJUdlce·to the generality of the f~:?regomg powers, such rules may prov1de for all or any of the followmg matters, namely ' {a) all matters expres~ly requ1red or allowed by th1s Act to be prc~cnbed , and (b) all other matters wh1ch arc or mdy be prescnbed (3) Every rule made under th1~ Act shall be la1d, as soon as may be, after 1t IS made, before the Leg1slattve A~sembly wh1IC" 11 ~~ m s~~s1on for a total penod of fourteen days wh1ch may fall m one ses~10n or m two success1vc • se:,swns dnd 1f before the exptry of the sesston m which 1t 1s so la1d or the • sc~s1on 1mmed1ately followmg, the Lcg1slat1ve A!>c;cmbly makes any modliicat1on m the rule or dec1des that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter ha\ e effect only 111 ~uch rnodd.ic d form or be of no effect, JS the ca~c may he . ~o however, any ~uch mod1ficat10n or annulment shllll be Without preJUdice to the vahdny of anythmg prevwuc;Jy done under that rule I 0 Power to remove difficultws --(I) If any difficulty ames m g1vmg effect to the provlsJonc; of thts Act, Government may by order do anythtng not mcon~1stent w1th the prov1s1ons of thts Act whtch appears to them necesc;ary for the purpose of removmg the dtfficulty Pro'vlded that no such order shall be made after the cxp1rat10n of two years from the date of commencement of th1:. Act • (2) Every order made under sub-scctron (I) shall be la1d, as ~oon ac; may be after It ts t<>sued, before the Leglsldlt'vc Assembly