The Assam Village Defence Organisation Act, 1966
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T he 1st August 1965

No.LJL.13J66/6.- T he following Act of th e Ass a m -L e~{d'ia ti ve Assembly

which rec eived the assent of tl .e Go vern or is hereby published for genera l
information.

"

ASSA1\of ACT XX II O F 1966

[Received the assent of the Governor on the 29th July, 1966]

    - H E ASSAM VILLA GE DEFE( CE ORGANI SATION AOT , 1966

[Puh lished in the Assam Gazette Extra-ordinar y, el ated the 2nd August,

1906] .

An

Act

t o p rovide for the constitution of an orgaalsattou for i s"sisting

##### the police in th e maintenance of law and order and eel.t aln
 other matters anciIlary cheeero ,

Preamble. Whereas it is expedie nt to provide for the constitu-
tion of an organ isation to be know n as the "Assam
Village Defence Organisation" for assisting th e
police in the maintenance of law and orde r, peace

lind tranquillity in the State of Assam ;

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It is hereby ena cted in th e Seventeenth Year of the

Republic of India as follows:-

Short title, I. (I) T his Act may be called the Assam Village

exten t and Defence Organis.u ion Act, 1966.

commence-
ment .

(2) It sha ll extend to the whole 01 the State of

Assam ,

(3) I t hall come into force on such date as the

State G overnment may, by notification
in th e Official Gazette, appoint.

Definitions, 2. In this Act, unless there is auyth .ng repugnant

in the subject or context :-

_(a, "Adult " means a person who is no t below
the age of 13 years;

(I» "Adviser" means the Honorary Chief

Adviser or such other persons who may

be appointed to act as advisers by the
State Govern ment;

(c) " Advisory Committee" means a District

Advisory Committe,', a Sub-d ivisional

Advisory Committee, or a Thana Advi-

sory Co mmittee constituted under the
pi ovisions of this Act ;

(d) "Ohief ControiIer" means a Deputy Inspec-

tor General of Police appointed as a
"Chief Controller" by the State Govern-
ment ;

(e) " District Village Defence O fficer" means

the Superintendent of Police of the

district concerned, or where th ere is 110

Superintendent of Police, th e Deputy

Commissioner of the District, as the
case may be ;


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(f) "Member" means a person enrolled as a
member of the Assam Village Defence
O rganisation in accor dance with the
provisions of this Act ;

(g) "Organisation" means the Assam Village
Defence organisat ion constituted un der
this Act;

##### th) "Prescribed" means prescribed by rules
mad e under this Act;

(i) "Subdivisional Village Defence Officer"

means the Subdivisional Police Officer
of the Subdivision concerned , or wh ere
there is no S ubdivisional Police Officer,
the Subdivisional Officer conce rned, as

the case may be ;

(j) "Tha na Village Defence Officer" me ans

the Sub-Inspector of Police in-charge of
a Thana.

~onstitu- 3. The State Government may constitute an Orga-

~osns ~fmthe nisation to be known as th e " Assam ViJIage Defence
Villaze De- Organisation" and for that purpose enr oll any adult

fence" Orga- citizen of India, who may offer himsel f to be so enrolled

nisation. by taking oath as a member of the Organisation, in

the manner prescribed.

"Duti,ts an:i 4 . The following shall be the functions of the O~ga .
run ctrons 0 f      -      - 1
the Organi- msauon, name y :-
sation,

(a) to assist the police in the maintena nce of
law and order, peace and tranquillity in
the State of Assam;

(b) to gi ve info rmation to the police about the

particulars of all persons suspected or
accused of any cognisable offence or

other anti-State acts, and about the
commission of such offences or acts, or
about escaped convicts;

(c) to pr event the commission of any cognis .ible

offence;

(d) to protect Government and other pu ~ lie
properties ;

(e) **to do other social work**

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. Constitu - 5. (1) For every village or group of villages, as th e

lion ofc [Pn ]• District Village Defence Officer may determine, t here

m~rttee~m- shall be a Primary Committee of th e Organisation
\ illage De- consisting of such number of adul t members of the

f:nce Par- village or group of villages, as may be prescribed .

ties, Selec-

tion of Pre-
sident and

~c:c rel ary of

Pri mary

Co mmittees
and Naiks

of Village
Defence
Panic•.

(2) Every Primary Committee may constitute as

man y parties as it may deem necessary, to b e called

Vill age Defence Parties, consisting of such nu mb er (If

members of the O rganisation a nd in such manner as

may be prescribed.

(3) Every Primary Comm ittee sha ll have One Pre-

sident and one Secretary for each such Comrnittc c,
and every Village Defence Par ty shall have one Naik
for each such Party, to be selected in the manner
prescrib ed.

~o -:,'ers. 6. (1) T he President or the Secretary of every

D U lle~ and Primary Committee or the Naik of every' Village De-
Functions of
Primary fence Party shall-

Co mmittee.

and Village

Defence
Parlies.

(a) forthwith comm unica te to the _O fficer-in-

charge of the Police Station in which the

village or zroup of villages is situated any
information which he may possess or com e

to know in respect of :-

(i) the residence or place of stay or hid ing,
pe rmanent or temporary, of any notorious
receiver or -vendor of stolen property and
of any person who he knows or reasona bly

suspects to be a thug, robber, escaped

convict or proclaimed offender in the

village or group of villages;

(ii) thc commission of, or intention to commit
in or near such village or group of villages
<l ny no n-bailabl e or cognisable offence

including murder, cul pable homicide,

rape, flacoity, robbery, theft, gambling,

mischief by fire, grievous hur t, rioting,

house-breaking, cou nterfeiting coins and

kidnapping, or any anti-State act i

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(iii) any matter likely to affect the maintenance
of law and order, pea ce and tranquillity,
or the prevention of cri me "01' the safety of
life and property ;                    -

(iv) Unnatural deaths;

(b) to the best of his ability prevent, and may

for that purpose interpose, the . commis-
sion of any offence or violation of lawful

orders in force; protect Government and
other public properties whenever he is

required to do so by the District Village
Defence Officer and the Subdivisional
Village Defence Officer, as the case may

be.

(2) Every M ember of a Village Defence Party
shall-

_(i) do social work such as construction of roads,_
clearing of tanks and ponds and other simi.
lar welfare activities as may be directed by
the Primary Committee;

(ii) carry out such patrol and watch in the

area as may be dir ected by the Primary
Committee.

(3) Ev ery member shall have the power to arrest any
procl aimed offender or any person who in his view
commits a non- bailable and cognisable offence. Any
person so arre sted shall without unnecessary delay be

made over to a Police Officer, or in the absence of a
Police O fficer he shall be taken or caused to be tak en

in cus tody to the nearest Police Station .

(4) The P rimary Committees, th e Village Defence

Parties, the Presidents and Secretaries of the Primary
Committees, the Naiks of Village Defence Parties and
of the m embers shall have such other powers, duties

and functions as may be prescribed.

Officers 01 7. (I) The following shall be the officers of the

the . OI~ <I' organisation, namely :-

DI latIOn .

(i) The Chief Controller,
(ii) The District Village Defence Officer,
(iii) The Subdivisional Village Defence Officer,
(iv) The Thana Village Defence Officer.

(2) In add ition to the powers and dut ies

of the Officers as conferred by this Act, they shall
have such oth er powers and duties as may be pre-

scrib ed.


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Aiministra· 8. (I) The administ ration and control of the Village

don ar.d Defence Organi sation in the State shall be vested in
control.

Chief Controll er . He may be a dvised by an H onorary

Chief Adviser appointed by the Governm ent.

. (2) The T ha na V illage Defence Officer, the Sub-
divisional Village Pcfence Office r an d the District

Village Defence O fficer shall be under the control at
the Su bdivisional Village Defence O fficer, the District

Village Defence Officer or the C hief Controller respec-
tively, as the case may be. They may be assisted by
such advisers and b y such Advisor y Committees, if

any, as may be ap pointed by the State G overnment.

(3) T he Primary Committees shall be under the
control and adminis tra tion of th e Tha na V illage

D efence Officer concerned .

Advisory 9. (I) The State Government may a ppoi nt a Di strict

Committee s. Advisory Cornrnitt ,a Su bdivisional Ad visory Com-

mittee a nd a T hana Ad visor y Co mmi ttee or any of
them to a dvi se the D istrict Village D efence O fficer,

the Subdivisional Village Defence O fficer or the Than a

Village Defence O fficer respectively.

(2l T he du ties of the Advisory Committees ap-
pointed unde r the p eeedi ng sub-section shall be such

as may be prescri bed .

Bar to Re- 10. 1'\0 me mbe r of the org a nisation shall be cnt it-
muneration. led to any remun eration h ut commen dab le services

including wel far e work done by a ny mem ber may be

suitab ly rewarded as may be pr escribed .

Allowances II. The Adviser may be p aid such a llowances or
or hon?l'aria honoraria as m lY be determined by State Go vernment
of Adviser , from time to time .

Arms and 12. A Village Defence Part y may be provided with

cquipmcnt s, such arms and equipments as may be supplied by the

State Government fro m time to time.

Uniform 13 Every member of a Village Defence Pa rt y shall
and badge. while on patrol or watch duty, wear such unifor m or
badge as may be prescribed.

Members 14. A m ember or an officer of the Organisation Act ~ I V of
and Officers act ing in the di scharge of his funct ions a nd duties or in 18 ~O .

to be public the exercise of his powers under this Act or the rules

sr.l'vants. d d d J b
ma e thereun er sh all be ee med to 1e a pu lie ser-
vant within the meani ng of sectio n 21 of the I ndian

Penal Code.


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Discharge 15. The Chief Controller or the District Village

and rernov-

Defence OfIlccr may remove any member from the

al,

Organisation or from the Village Defence Party, as the
case may be, if the officer removing the member is of
opinion that the member is remiss or negligent in the
discha rge of his duties or otherwise unfit for continuing
as such member.

I'cnalr y. 16. Any member cf a Vill age Defence Party who is

guilty of any violation, wilful breach or neglect of any
of the duties imposed by or under this Act, or refuses
to obey or comply with any lawful order made by any
competent authority under th is Act or the rules made
thereunder, shall on conviction in a court of law be
punishable with a fine whi- h may extend to rupees
fifty.

lIar to Pro- 17. No prosecution, suit or other legal proceeding

secution, ere. shaJl lic a gainst any member or officer of the Organisa-

tion in r espect 01 anything done or purported to be
done by him in exercise of th e powers, duties and func-
tions, or in carrying out any lawful order made under
this Act or ti,e rules made thereunder except with the
previous sanction of the District Village Defence
Officer or the Chief Controller.

P II we r to 18. (.) The State Government may make rules for
make rules. carryin g Gut the purposes and objects of this Act.

(2) In pa rticular, and without prejudice to

the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may
provide for all or ~any of the following matters,
namely:-

(a) for mation and constituti on of the Village

Defence Parties, Primary Committees and
Advisory Committees;

(b) selec tion cf Pro sident and Secretary of
Primary Committees band the Naiks of

Village Defence Parties ;

(c) demarcation () f jurisdiction of every Village
Defen ce Par ty and Primary Committee;

(d) enrolment of members of the Organisation;

(e),d ulies and functions of the Officers, Advisory

Committees, Primary Committees and
ViIlage Defence Parties;

~ f) maintenance of registers, reports and
accounts of the Village Defence Parties,
Primary Committees and other Offices
of the Organisation ,


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(g) allotment of funds and other equipments

**for each Village Defence Party or Primary** _c_
Committee;

(h) supply of badges, signals and uniforms;

(i) prescribe the forms of oath for ~ t he memo
bers of the Village Defence Parties and
other mcm bers ; and

(j) any other matter.

(3) Every rule made under this section shall
be laid as won as may be after it is made, before the
Assam Legislative Assembly while it is in session for
a total period of fourteen days which may be compri-

sed in one session or in two successive sessions, and
if, before the expiry of th e session in which it is so
laid or the session immediately following the Assam
Legislative Assembly agree in making any modifica-
tion in the rule or the Assam Legislative Assernbly
agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall
thereafter have effect only in such modified form or
be .of no effect, as the case may be ; so however, that
any such modification or annulment shall be without

prejudice to the validity of anything previously done
under that rule.

B. SARMA.
Secy. to the Government of Assam.

Law D epartment.


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