The Assam Special Powers (Press) Act, 1960

35 
ASSAM ACT No.III OF 1961 
'tH.V.. ASSA'M SPECIAL PO'WERS (PRESS) ACT, 1960 
\Received the assent of .he President on the 12th January 1961) 
Published in the Assam Ga<.ette, Extr.rnrdinary. dated the 20th January 1961] 
An 
Act 
to provide tor special pawers to the State Government of Assam 
to deal more effectively with the printing press for maintenance of 
law and ord t:r and the p't'eservation of pea,ce and communal 
-·-·· .. •uony among the people living in the State of Assam. 
Preamble. WHERE"'S it is expe ::l ient to provide by law to the State 
Government of Assam special powers to deal 
more effectively with the printing press tor the 
maintena:'ce of taw and order and the preservation of 
pe&ce and communal ha1mony among the peop le 
liYing in the State of Assam, in the manner herein-
.ifttr appearing ; 
t title. 
t and 
commence. 
lllClll. 
It is hereb} enacted in the E!eventh Year of the 
Republic of India follows:-
I. (l) This Act may be called the Assam sr~cial 
Powers (Press) Act, 1960. 
(2) It cxteod~ to the whule of Assam. 
(3) It shall come into force at once. 
to 2 ( 1) If the Gove~nor is u tisfied that a situation 
COD1rol exists where by the maintenanc e of communal harmony 
blica ion. is thn.atene<l and by reason thereof it is necessary to 
use tne special powers under this Ac t for the purpose 
of preventing or combating any activity affecting or 
likely to affect public order, he may make a declara­
tion to that effect by 1.otification in the Official 
Gazette. 
(2) Upon ' such declaratinn having been made, !he 
State Government or any authority so authorised in 
that behalf may, by order in writing addressed to 
the printer, publisher or editor of any publication or 
the keeper of a press,-
(a) prohibit the printing or publication in any 
document or any class of documents of any matter 
relating to a particular subject or class of subjects for 
a sp ... cified period or in a particular issue or issues 
of a newspaper or periodic'll: 
Provided that no such order shall remain in 
forte for more than two months from th<> making 
there0f. Unless befo1e the expiry of such period the 
State Government, by an c, rder made in the like 
manner, extends it by any period not exceeding two 
months at a time as it thinks fit so, however, th clt 
!he total pe1iod of the origin al order does not excetd 
four months: 
Provided fur frer that the persons a~;ainst whom 
the order has beeu made may within ten days of the 
passing of this order make a representation to the 
State Government which may on C0'1sideration thereof 
modify , confirm: er 1escind the order ; 
(b) require that any mattt:r, co~ering not 
more than two columns, be published in any particulc.1r 
issue or issues of a newspaper or periodical on payment 
·of adtquate remunerat10n and may wh;Je doing so, 
specify the period (not exceeding one week) during 
which such publication shall take place; 
(c) require any matt:er relating to a particular 
subject or class of 5ub_iects sh 11 before public ation 
be submitted for scrutin g by an authority a1Jpoimed 
by the St. te Government in its behalf and published 
only in accordance with the directiDm given thereat. 
(3) In the e\·ent of d)subcdience of an order under 
this section, the State \.iovernment or the authority 
issuing the order may, without, pr.::judice to the other 
penalty to ""hich the person g~ilty ot the disobedience 
is liable under this Act, order the seizure of all copies 
of any publication concerned and of· any printing 
press Or Oiber instrument or arparatus US(d in lhC 
publication. 
Po 1•e.r. to 3. (I) The State , Government or any authority 
pr ohibtt.en- authorised by it in this behalf, if satisfied that such 
try mto . · 1· h f · Assarn of act10n IS necessary or t e purpose o preventmg or 
newspapers, combating any activity prejudicial to the maintenance 
et r. of communal harmony affecting or likely to affect 
public order, may, by order notified in the Official 
Gazette, prohibit the bringing into Assam of any 
newspaper, periodical, leaflet or other publication: 
Provided that no such order shall remain in force 
for more than two months from the making thereof. 
Unless before the expiry of such period the State 
Government, by an order made in the like manner, 
1 extends it by any period not exceeding two months 
at a time as it thinks fit so, however, that the total 
period of the original order does not exceed four 
months: 
p 
Penalty. 
37 
Provided further that a person aggrieved by such 
order may, within ten days of the passing thereof, 
mak e a representation to the State Government 
which may on consideration thereof modity, confirm 
or rescind the 01;der. 
(2) In the event of disobe dience of an order under 
this section, the State Government or the authority 
issuing the order, may, without prejudice to the other 
penalty to which the person guilty of th e d isol)edience 
is liable under this Act, order the seizure oi' all co pie:1 
of any newspaper, periodical, leafl et or other p ublic..ttion concerned. 
4. Whoever cont r.:wenes,.disobeys or neglects to com­
ply with any order made or direction given under 
sectioni. 2 a1.d 3 of th is Act, shall, on conviction, be 
liable to be punished with imprisonment of eithtr 
descript ion which may extend to one year or with fine 
upto one thousand rupee3 or witn both. 
ASSAM ACT No. IV OF 1961 
THE ASSAM APPROPR£ATION (No. l) ACT, 1961 
(Received the assent of the Governor on the 16th March 1961) 
' [Published in the Assam Gazette, Extraordinary, dated the 17th March 1961] 
An 
Act 
to provide for the withdrawal of certain further sums from 
and out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of Assam to 
the service of the year ending on the thirty-first day of March 1961. 
Short title 
It is hereby eni\cted in the Twelfth year of 
the Republic of India as follows:-
and com· 1. This Act may be called the Assam Appropria-
. encement tion (No. 1) Act, 1961. 
ll'ithdrawal 2. From and ·out of the Consolidated Fund of 
of Rs.5,69, the Stat! of i\s ~ am there may be paid and applied 
41 340 from d' h ·fi d · I (3) f 3 ;,d out of sums not excee mg t ose spec1 e rn co umn o 
1he Consoli- the Schedule arn •_,untiog in t!1e aggregate to the s 1m 
dated Fund of five crores, sixty-nine Iakhs, forty-one thousand, 
ofthe State three hundred and forty rupees towards defraying 
off Assathm the ~everal charges which will come in course of 
or e . d' h h" . financial payment during the year en mg o 1 t e t Irty-!irst 
year 1960-61. <la1· of March, 1961 in respect of the services 
sp.cified in column (2) of the Scheclule. 

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