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

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Government of Kerala Reg No rorg1 mm.Jm 
KLITV(N)/12/2009-2011 adh!l) gJ <T\l m c£)6)::J m 
2011 
Vol. LVI } 
OJ::Jf'l_\0 56 
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adha>~ (f)cruoo 
EXTRAORDINARY 
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY 
~Wldh::HOldhCllOCD.>l Ln.Jffi.l 100@~5 3 CUlm 3 em co) 
llunn·ananthapuram, 
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CID1ro&rummnnJ&roo, 
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18th February 2011 
2011 6)nf1l6Tll&OJro1 18 -----
29th \1agha 1932 
1932 Ol::Jnelo '29 
GOVERNMENf OF KERALA 
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Law (Legislation-E) Dcpartm{'nt 
NOTIFICAfiON , 
No } 36H 
mn11m 
No 3756'Lcg. E 1120 11 /Law 18th FC'hruary, 101 I 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 
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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 of 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 , 
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(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 
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(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 davs 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 
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 
the event and subject to such gllldchnes as may be tl>sucd by Government from 
ttme to t1me for mamtammg public order. catenng to emergcnc1es and 
m1t1gatmg the d1fficulttes to the pubhc, 
(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 
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 
permanent or temporary nature on any puhltc way unless II IS dllov.cd 111 wnttng 
by the appropnatc authonty <)f the depJrtmcnt m charge of the upkeep and 
mamtcnancc of the parttcular public way 
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(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, 
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 Pollee 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 
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(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 rnoddicd 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 
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