LexThe Maharashtra Shetgi Watan Rights (Ratnagiri) Abolition Act.
Maharashtra · state statute
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this act1957: Bom. II] 1
THE MAHARASHTRA SHETGI WATAN RIGHTS (RATNAGIRI)
ABOLITION ACT
[Text as on 24th April 2025]
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CONTENTS
PREAMBLE.
SECTIONS.
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Abolition of shetgi watans.
4. Quantum of compensation.
5. Method of awarding compensation.
6. Appeal.
7. Procedure before Revenue Tribunal.
8. Court-fees.
9. Finality of award and decision of Revenue Tribunal.
10. Rules.
2 The Maharashtra Shetgi Watan Rights (Ratnagiri) [1957: Bom. II
Abolition Act
1957: Bom. II] The Maharashtra Shetgi Watan Rights (Ratnagiri) 3
Abolition Act
LIST OF AMENDMENT ACTS
1. Amended by Mah. 24 of 2012 (22-8-2012)
Note.-The date mentioned in the bracket indicates the date of commencement of the Act.
4 The Maharashtra Shetgi Watan Rights (Ratnagiri) [1957: Bom. II
Abolition Act
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Abolition Act
ACT No. II OF 19571
[THE MAHARASHTRA SHETGI WATAN RIGHTS (RATNAGIRI) ABOLITION ACT.]
[This Act received the assent of the President on 29th December 1956;
assent was first published in the Bombay Government Gazette, Extraordinary,
Part IV, on the 9th January 1957.]
An Act to abolish shetgi watans in the Ratnagiri District of the State of Bombay.
WHEREAS it is expedient to abolish shetgi watans in the town of Rajapur in the Ratnagiri
District, and to provide for matters consequential or incidental thereto; It is hereby enacted in the
Seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows :—
1. Short title, extent and commencement. — (1) This Act may be called 2[the Maharashtra
Shetgi Watan Rights (Ratnagiri) Abolition Act].
(2) It extends to the district of Ratnagiri in the State of Bombay.
(3) It shall come into force on such 3date as the State Government may, by notifi cation in the
Official Gazette, appoint.
2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(b) “shetgi watan” means the watan, commonly known as shetgi watan or shetki watan,
consisting of—
(i) the first right of weighment or measurement of all merchandise im ported by the
land route into the market ( peth) of the town of Rajapur in Rajapur Taluka of the Ratnagiri
district, and
(ii) the right to collect shetgi watan emoluments in respect thereof,
under any custom, usage, grant, sanad, takid, or other title;
(c) “shetgi watan emolument” means the fee by w ay of labha or salai or by whatever name
called, and whether leviable in kind or otherwise, as an incident of the shetgi watan;
(d) “shetye watandar” means the holder of a shetgi watan or any part thereof.
3. Abolition of shetgi watans. — Notwithstanding any custom, usage, grant, sanad or decree or
order of a court,—
(a) all shetgi watans including all incidents thereof or relating thereto, shall be and are
hereby abolished, and
(b) all rights of shetye wata ndars to any shetgi watan emoluments shall be deemed to have
been extinguished.
4. Quantum of compensation.— A shetye watandar shall, for the abolition or extinguishment of
any of his rights by virtue of section 3, be entitled to compensation at the rate of three times the
average of the value of shetgi watan emoluments collected by him during the three years immediately
preceding the commencement of this Act.
5. Method of awarding compensation. — (1) Any shetye watandar entitled to compensation
under section 4 may, within six months from the commencement of this Act, make an application to
the Collector in the prescribed form, accompanied by the prescribed information, for determining the
amount of compensation payable to him under the said section.
1 For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Bombay Government Gazette, 1950, Part V. page 882.
2 The short title was amended for “the Bombay Shetgi Watan Rights (Ratnagiri) Abolition Act, 1956” by Mah. 24 of 2012,
Sch., entry 63, w. e. f. 1-5-1960.
3 1st April 1957, vide G. N., R. D., No. WTN/56, dated 5-2-1957.
6 The Maharashtra Shetgi Watan Rights (Ratnagiri) [1957: Bom. II
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(2) On receipt of such application the Collector shall, after holding a formal enquiry in the
manner provided by Chapter XII of the Bombay Land Revenue Code, 1879 (Bom. V of 1879 ), make
an award determining the amount of compensation.
6. Appeal.— Any person aggrieved by the award of the Collector may, within 60 days of the
date of such award, appeal to the Bombay Revenue Tribunal constituted under the Bombay Revenue
Tribunal Act, 1939 (Bom. XII of 1939 ), notwithstanding anything in the said Act. T he provisions of
sections 4, 5, 12 and 14 of the Indian Limitation Act, 1908 (IX of 1908 ), shall apply to the filing of
such appeals.
7. Procedure before Revenue Tribunal. — (1) The Bombay Revenue Tribunal shall, after
giving notice to the appellant and the State Government, decide the appeal and record its decision.
(2) In deciding an appeal under this Act the Bombay Revenue Tribunal shall have and may
exercise all the powers of a court, and shall follow the like procedure which a court follows, in
deciding appeals from a decree or order of an original court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
(V of 1908).
8. Court-fees.— Notwithstanding anything contained in the Court-fees Act, 1870 (VII of 1870),
every appeal made under this Act to the Bombay Revenue Tribunal shall bear a court-fee stamp of such
value as may be prescribed.
9. Finality of award and decision of Revenue Tribunal. — The award made by the Collector,
subject to an appeal to the Bombay Revenue Tribunal, and the decision of the Bombay Revenue
Tribunal on the appeal shall be final and conclusive and shall not be questioned in any suit or
proceeding in any court.
10. Rules.— The State Government may, subject to the condition of previous publication, make
rules for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Act.