Section 35 of The Bengal Waterways Act, 1934 — If the Chairman or the person so appointed, as the case may be, is absent, the members present shall choose one of their number to preside

Bare section text

Official Legislative Text

Fees and travelling allowance for attendance at meetings [Note: The text of Section 35 is not present in the provided source document because the page containing it (originally located between Section 34 and Section 36) is missing from the scanned PDF.]

Educational Study Layer

Summary

Committees appointed by the Board can meet and adjourn as they see fit.
The Chairman can call a special meeting of any committee at any time.
The Chairman must call a special meeting of a committee if at least two members of that committee request it in writing.
The Chairman of the Board presides over committee meetings if he is a member of that committee.
If the Chairman is not a member, the Board appoints a committee member to preside.
If the presiding officer is absent, the committee members present choose one of their own number to preside.

Practical examples

1The Board sets up a special committee to study water-hyacinth clearing, consisting of three members, and the Chairman is not a member. The Board appoints Member Roy to preside. At their first scheduled meeting, Member Roy falls ill and is absent. Under Section 34 of this Act, the remaining two members present, Member Sen and Member Das, choose Member Sen from among themselves to preside so they can proceed with the meeting.

2A committee on channel widening has four members. Two of the members, Member Ali and Member Khan, want to hold an urgent meeting to discuss a budget discrepancy. They send a joint written request to the Chairman of the Board. Under Section 34 of this Act, the Chairman is required to call a special meeting of the committee.

FAQ

1. Who decides when a committee can meet under Section 34 of the Act?

Committee members can meet and adjourn as they think proper. However, the Chairman of the Board may also call a special meeting at any time, as permitted by Section 34 of the Act.

2. Can committee members force a special meeting to be called under Section 34 of the Act?

Yes. If at least two members of a committee submit a written request, the Chairman must call a special meeting of that committee under Section 34 of the Act.

3. Who presides over a committee meeting if the designated presiding officer is absent under Section 34 of the Act?

If the Chairman or the appointed presiding officer is absent, the committee members who are present at the meeting choose one of their own members to preside, according to Section 34 of the Act.

Practice Quiz

Q1.A committee of five members has been appointed by the Board. The Chairman of the Board is not a member of this committee. The Board appointed Member Bose to preside over its meetings. If Member Bose is absent from a scheduled meeting, how must the committee choose a presiding officer under Section 34 of the Act?

Q2.Two members of a four-person committee submit a written request to the Chairman to call a special meeting. What must the Chairman do under Section 34 of this Act?

Q3.Under Section 34 of this Act, which of the following is true regarding who presides over a committee meeting if the Chairman of the Board is a member of that committee?

Q4.Under Section 34 of this Act, how are committee meetings typically scheduled and adjourned?

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