The Manoeuvres, Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act, 1938

(1) This Act may be called the Manoeuvres, Field Firing and ArtilleryPractice Act, 1938. (2) It extends to the whole of India 1***.

(1) The State Government may, bynotification in the local Official Gazette, authorise the execution of military manoeuvres over any areaspecified in the notification during a specified period not exceeding three months: Provided that the same area or any part thereof shall not ordinarily be so specified more than once inany period of three years. (2) The State Government shall publish notice of its intention to issue a notification undersub-section (1) as early as possible in advance of the issue of the notification, and no such notificationshall be issued until the expiry of three months from the date of the first publication of such notice in thelocal Official Gazette. (3) The notice required by sub-section (2) shall be given by publication in the local Official Gazetteand shall also be given throughout the area which it is proposed to specify in the notification bypublication in the manner prescribed by rules made under section 13, and shall be repeated by likepublication one month and one week as nearly as may be before the commencement of the manoeuvres.

(1) Where a notification under sub-section (1)of section 2 has been issued, such persons as are included in the military forces engaged in themanoeuvres may, within the specified limits and during the specified periods,-- (a) pass over, or encamp, construct military works of a temporary character, or execute militarymanoeuvres on, the area specified in the notification, and (b) supply themselves with water from any source of water in such area: .Provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise the taking of water from any source of supply,whether belonging to a private owner or a public authority, of an amount in excess of the reasonablerequirements of the military forces or of such amount as to curtail the supply ordinarily required by thoseentitled to the use of such water supply. (2) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall not authorise entry on or interference with any well or tankheld sacred by any religious community or any place of worship or ground attached thereto except for thelegitimate purpose of offering prayers or any place or building reserved or used for the disposal of thedead, or any dwelling house or premises attached thereto or any educational institution, factory, workshopor store or any premises used for the carrying on of any trade, business or manufacture or any garden orpleasure ground, or any ancient monument as defined in section 2 of the Ancient MonumentsPreservation Act, l904 (7 of 1904).

The Officer in Command of the militaryforces engaged in the manoeuvres shall cause all lands used under the powers conferred by this Chapter tobe restored, as soon and as far as practicable, to their previous condition.

Where a notification issued undersection 2 authorises the execution of military manoeuvres compensation shall be payable from theDefence Estimates for any damage to person or property or interference with rights or privileges arisingfrom such manoeuvres including expenses reasonably incurred in protecting person, property, rights andprivileges.