THE DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS AND PESTS ACT, 1914
ACT NO.II OF 1914
PASSED BY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF INDIA IN COUNCIL
(Received the assent of the Governor-General on the 3rd February, 1914)
AN ACT TO PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION INTO AND THE TRANSPORT FROM ONE STATE
TO ANOTHER IN INDIA OF ANY INSECT, FUNGUS OR OTHER PEST WHICH IS OR MAY BE
DESTRUCTIVE TO CROPS.
Whereas it is expedient to make provision for preventing the introduction into India of
any insect, fungus or other pest, which is or may be destructive to crops; it is hereby
enacted as follows:
1. Short title:
(a)This Act may be called The
(b)It extends to the whole of India.
Destructive
Insects
and
Pests
Act,
1914.
2.Definitions:
In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context(a) "Crops" includes all agricultural or horticultural crops and all trees, bushes or plants;
(b) "Import" means the bringing or taking by sea, land or air, across any customs
frontier
defined
by
the
Central
Government;
(c) "Infection" means infection by any insect, fungus or other pest injurious to a crop.
3. Power of the Central Government to regulate or prohibit the import of
articles likely to infect:
(i)The Central Government may, by notification in the Gazette of India, prohibit or
regulate, subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Central Government may
impose, the import into India, or any part thereof, or any specified place therein, of any
articles or class of articles likely to cause infection to any or of insects generally or any
class of insects.
(ii) A notification under the section may specify any article or class of articles or any
insect or class of insects either generally on in any particular manner, whether with
reference to the country of origin, or the route by which imported or otherwise.
4.Operation of notification under Section 3:
A notification under section 3 shall operate as if it had been issued under section 19 of
the Sea Customs Act, 1878 (VIII of 1878), and the officers of Customs at every port
shall have the same powers in respect of any article with regard to the importation of
which such a notification has been issued as they have for the time being in respect of
any article, the importation of which is regulated, restricted or prohibited by the law
relating to Sea customs and the law for the time being in force relating to Sea customs
or any such article shall apply accordingly.
4. (a) Power of Central Government to regulate or prohibit transport from State
to State of insects or articles likely to infect:
The Central Government may, by notification in the official gazette, prohibit or regulate,
subject to such conditions as the Central Government may impose, the export from a
State or the transport from one State to another State in India of any article or class of
articles likely to cause infection to any crop or of insects generally or any class of insects.
4. (b) Refusal to carry article of which transport is prohibited:
When a notification has been issued under section 4 A, then, notwithstanding any other
law for the time being in force, the person responsible for the booking of goods or
parcels at any railway station or inland steam vessel station(i)Where the notification prohibits export or transport, shall refuse to receive for carriage
at, or to forward or knowingly allow to be carried on the railway or inland steam vessel
from that station anything, of which import of transport is prohibited, consigned to any
place in India outside the State in which such station is situated;
(ii)Where the notification imposes conditions upon export or transport, shall so refuse,
unless the consignor produces, or the thing consigned is accompanied by a document or
documents of the prescribed nature showing that these conditions are satisfied.
4. (c) Deleted.
4. (d) Power of Central Government to make rules:
The Central Government may, by notification in the official gazette, make rules
prescribing the nature of the documents which shall accompany any article or insect, the
export or transport whereof is subject to conditions imposed under section 4 A, or which
shall be held by the consignor or consignee thereof, the authorities which may issue such
documents and the manner in which the documents shall be employed. Provided that the
said notification, shall be placed, as soon as may be, on the table of both chambers of
the Parliament.
5. Power of local Government to make rules:
(i) The State Government may make rules for the detention, inspection, disinfection, or
destruction of any insect or class of insects or of any article or class of articles in respect
of which a notification has been issued under section-3 or under section-4A or of any
article which may have been in contact or proximity thereto, and for regulating the
powers and duties of the officers whom it may appoint in this behalf.
(ii) In making any rule under this section, the State Government may direct that a
breach thereof shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to one thousand rupees.
5. (a) Penalties:
Any person who knowingly exports any article or insect from a State or transports any
article or insect from one State to another in India in contravention of a notification
issued under section 4A, or attempts so to export or transport any article or insect, and
any person responsible for the booking of goods or parcels at a railway or inland steam
vessel station who knowingly contravenes the provisions of section 4B shall be
punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred and fifty rupees and upon any
subsequent conviction, with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees.
6. Protection to persons acting under Act:
No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything
in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act.
List of amending Acts and adaptation orders:
1.The
2.The
3.The
4.The
5.The
6.The
7.The
8.The
Destructive Insects and Pests (Amendment) Act, 1930 (20 of 1930)
Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) (Order, 1937)
Destructive Insects and Pests (Amendment) Act, 1938 (6 of 1938)
Destructive Insects and Pests (Amendment) Act, 1939 (3 of 1939)
Indian Independence (Adaptation of Central Acts and Ordinances) Order, 1948
Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950
Part B States (Laws) Order, 1951 (3 of 1951)
Jammu & Kashmir (Extension of Laws) Act, 1956 (62 of 1956)
MINISTRY OF LAW, JUSTICE AND COMPANY AFFAIRS
(Legislative Department)
New Delhi, the 31st March, 1992/Chaitra 11, 1914 (Saka)
The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the 31st March,
1992, and is hereby published for general information:THE DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS
AND PESTS (AMENDMENT AND VALIDATION) ACT, 1992 NO.12 OF 1992 [31ST
March, 1992.]
An Act further to amend the Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914
Be it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-third Year of the Republic of India as follows:
1. (i) This Act may be called the Destructive Insects and Pests (Amendment and
Validation) Act, 1992.
(ii) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 27th day of October, 1989.
2. In section 3 of the Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914 (hereinafter referred to as
the principal Act), after sub-section (2), the following shall be inserted, namely:
The Central Government may, by notification under this section, also levy and collect
such fees at such rates and in such manner as may be specified therein for making an
application for a permit to import, or for making inspection, fumigation, disinfection,
disinfestations or supervision of, any article or class of articles or any insect or class of
insects under this section
3. (i) Notwithstanding any judgement, decree or order of any court, tribunal or other
authority:(ii) the notification No.S.O.867(E), dated the 27th October, 1989 issued under the subsection (1) of section 3 of the Principal Act, and
(iii) any fees levied or collected or purported to have been levied or collected for
making an application for a permit to import, or for making inspection, fumigation,
disinfection, disinfestations or supervision of, any article or class of articles or any insect
or class of insects under the Principal Act or the said notification, shall for all purposes,
be deemed to be and to have always been validly issued or, as the case may be, levied
or collected in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of the Principal Act as
amended by this Act, and accordingly:(a) no suit or other proceeding shall be maintained or continued in any court for the
refund of any fees so collected;
(b) no court or other authority shall enforce any decree or order directing the refund of
any fees so collected;
(c) any fees levied or purported to have been levied but not collected, may be recovered
under the Principal Act as amended by this Act; and
(d) anything done or any action taken or purported to have been done or taken under or
for the purposes of the Principal Act shall be deemed to have been validly done or taken
in accordance with law as if the provisions of section 3 of the Principal Act, as amended
by this Act, had been in force at all material times.
(2) For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that nothing in sub-section (1) shall
be constructed as preventing any person:(a) from questioning in accordance with the provisions of the Principal Act, as amended
by this Act, or the notification, issued under Section 3 of the Principal Act, the levy or
collection of such fees; or
(b) from claiming refund of any fees paid by him in excess of the amount due from him
under the Principal Act, as amended by this Act, or the said notification.
4. (1) The Destructive Insects and Pests (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 1992 is
hereby repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the
Principal Act, as amended by the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been done or
taken under
the Principal Act, as amended by this Act.
K.L.MOHANPURIA,
Secy. To the Govt. of India.