West Bengal Fire Services Act, 1950

No: 18 Dated: Mar, 30 1950

THE WEST BENGAL FIRE SERVICES ACT, 1950

West Bengal Act XVIII of 1950

    An Act to provide for the maintenance of a fire brigade, for the licensing of warehouses and for certain other matters.

    Whereas it is expedient to provide for the maintenance of a fire brigade, for the licensing of warehouses and for certain other matters;

    It is hereby enacted as follows :-

CHAPTER I

Preliminary

1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the West Bengal Fire Services Act, 1950.

(2) It extends to the whole of West Bengal.

(3) It shall come into force in such local or other areas and on such dates as the State Government may, by notification from time to time in the Official Gazette, direct; and the State Government may by like notification withdraw this Act from any such area :

2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context, -

(a) "Calcutta" means Calcutta as defined in clause (11) of section 3 of the Calcutta Municipal Act, 1923;

(b) "the Collector" means, in relation to Calcutta, the Collector of Stamp Revenue and in relation to any other local area, the Collector of the district within which the local area is comprised;

(c) "the Commissioner" in relation to the Collector means the Divisional Commissioner to whom the Collector is subordinate;

(d) "cotton" means loose raw cotton;

(e) "Director" means the Director of Fire Services appointed by the State Government;

(f) "the fire brigade" means the fire brigade maintained by the State Government under section 3;

(g) "fire-fighting appliances" mean fire-engines, fireescapes, accoutrements, equipments, tools, implements and things whatsoever used for firefighting and include motor cars, motor cycles, trailers and other means of transport;

(h) "jute" means raw jute, either loose or in drums, and loose jute cuttings and rejections;

(i) "Magistrate" means a Presidency Magistrate or Magistrate of the First Class;

(j) "person" includes an undivided Hindu family, and • a firm or company or association of individuals whether incorporated or not;

(k) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the State Government under this Act;

(l) "warehouse" means any building or place used whether temporarily or permanently for the storing or pressing. or keeping of jute, gunny bags, cotton, hemp, resin, shellac, varnish, bitumen, N. ',pitch, tar, tallow, celluloid, wood (excluding furniture kept in the building or place for ordinary use), charcoal, coal, straw, hay, Ulugrass, golpata, hogla, derma, raw rattan canes, cocoanut fibre, waste paper, packinc, boxes, inflammable chemicals or any other article which in the opinion of the State Government is inflammable and is specified by the State Government by notification in the Official Gazette for the purpose of this clause.

CHAPTER II

FIRE BRIGADE

3. Fire brigade to be maintained:- The State Government shall maintain a fire brigade or services in the local areas in which this Act is in force.