Act Info:
(1) The State Government may, constitute the Karnataka Inland Fisheries Advisory Board consisting of such number of members not exceeding thirteen.
(2) The Board shall consist of the following members, namely:-
(a) The Minister incharge of Fisheries shall be the Chairman;
(b) The Secretary to Government, incharge of Fisheries;
(c) The Secretary to Government, Finance Department;
(d) The Secretary to Government, Irrigation Department;
(e) The Secretary to Government, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department;
(f) The Director of Instruction, Fisheries College, Mangalore;
(g) The Director of Fisheries shall be the Member Secretary;
(h) Two persons of whom one shall be a woman and one shall be a person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes;
(i) Two persons who are members of the Karnataka Legislature;
(j) Two persons of whom one shall be a person from the Fisheries Co-operative Societies and one shall be a person belonging to Fishermen Community and who is engaged in fishing.
(3) The persons referred to in clauses (h), (i) and (j) shall be nominated by the State Government.
(4) If any officer referred to in clauses (b) to (e), is unable to attend the meeting of the Board, he may in writing depute an officer not below the rank of a Deputy Secretary to Government to attend such meeting.
(5) The members shall be entitled to receive such allowance in respect of expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as may be prescribed.
(6) It shall be the duty of Board,-
(a) to advice the State Government in any matter connected with the conservation, development and regulation of inland fisheries in the State;
(b) to assist the State Government in relation to fisherman welfare;
(c) to assist and encourage the development and propagation of fishery and fishery products;
(d) to collect statistics regarding fish production;
(e) to establish training institutions; and
(f) to perform such other functions and duties as may be prescribed.
Section 9 - Disqualification for the membership of the Board
(1) A person shall be disqualified for being nominated as and for being, a member,-
(a) if, he has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for an offence which, in the opinion of the State Government involves moral turpitude; or
(b) if, he is of unsound mind and is so declared by a competent court; or
(c) if, he is an undischarged insolvent; or
(d) if, he has been removed or dismissed from the service of the Central Government or the State Government or a Corporation owned or controlled by the Central Government or the State Government or from the membership of the Board; or
(e) if, he has directly or indirectly, by himself or his partner, any share or interest in any work done by the order of the Board or in any contract or employment with or under or by or on behalf of the Board; or
(f) if, he is employed as a legal practitioner on behalf of the Board or accepts employment as legal practitioner against the Board.
(2) A person shall not be disqualified under clause (c) of sub-section (1) or be deemed to have any share or interest in any contract or employment within the meaning of the said clause, by reason only of his having a share or interest in any newspaper in which any advertisement relating to the affairs of the Board is inserted.
Section 10 - Term of office and conditions of service of nominated members
(1) Subject to the pleasure of the State Government and the provisions of section 11, the nominated members of the Board shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of their nomination.
(2) Every nominated member may at any time resign his office by sending a letter of resignation addressed to the State Government:
Provided that the resignation shall not take effect until it is accepted.
Section 11 - Removal of members
(1) The State Government shall remove a nominated member, if he,-
(a) becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in section 9; or
(b) refuses to act or becomes incapable of acting; or
(c) without obtaining the leave of absence from the chairman absents himself for three consecutive meetings of the Board; or
(d) in the opinion of the State Government he has so abused his position as to render his continuance detrimental to the interest of the Board.
(2) No order of removal of a nominated member under sub-section (1), shall be made unless such member has been given an opportunity of making his representation.
Section 12 - Casual vacancies
(1) Any casual vacancy caused by resignation of a nominated member or by any other reason, may be filled by the State Government by nomination and the person so nominated shall hold the office for remaining period for which the member in whose place he is nominated would have held office.
(2) No act or proceeding of the Board shall be invalidated merely by reason of any vacancy in its membership or any defect in the constitution or reconstitution of the Board or any irregularity in the procedure of the Board not affecting the merits of the case.
Section 13 - Meetings of the Board
(1) The Board shall meet at least once in three months ordinarily at Bangalore or at such other place as the Board may decide and may regulate its own procedure including the quorum in regard to the transaction of business at its meeting.
(2) The Chairman or in his absence, any member chosen by the members present from among themselves, shall preside over the meeting of the Board.