490A. Delegation of power by the Central Government.—

The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that any power exercisable by it under this Act shall, subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the notification be exercisable by the Government or any of its officers or by the Commissioner or any other authority.]

491. Power to delegate functions of Commissioner.—

The Commissioner may by order direct that any power conferred or any duty imposed on him by or under this Act shall, in such circumstances and under such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the order, be exercised and performed also by any municipal officer or other municipal employee specified in the order.

492. Validity of notices and other documents.—

No notice, order, requisition, licence, permission in writing or any other document issued under this Act shall be invalid merely by reason of defect of form.

493. Admissibility of document or entry as evidence.—

A copy of any receipt, application, plan, notice, order or other document or of any entry in a register in the possession of any municipal authority shall, if duly certified by the legal keeper thereof or other person authorised by the Commissioner in this behalf, be admissible in evidence of the existence of the document or entry, and shall be admitted as evidence of the matters and transactions therein recorded in every case where, and to the same extent to which, the original document or entry would, if produced, have been admissible to prove such matters and transactions.

494. Evidence of Municipal officer or employee.—

No Municipal officer or other municipal employee shall, in any legal proceedings to which the Corporation is not a party, be required to produce any register or document the contents of which can be proved under section 493 by a certified copy, or to appear as a witness to prove any matter or transaction recorded therein save by order of the court made for special cause.

495. Prohibition against obstruction of Mayor or any municipal authority, etc.—

No person shall obstruct or molest the Corporation or any municipal authority, the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor, any councillor or aldermen or any person employed by the Corporation or any person with whom the Commissioner has entered into a contract on behalf of the Corporation, in the performance of their duty or of anything which they are empowered or required to do by virtue or in consequence of any provision of this Act or of any rule, regulation or bye-law made thereunder.

496. Prohibition against removal of mark.—

No person shall remove any mark set up for the purpose of indicating any level or direction incidental to the execution of any work authorised by this Act or of any rule or bye-law made thereunder.

497. Prohibition against removal or obliteration of notice.—

No person shall, without authority in that behalf, remove, destroy, deface or otherwise obliterate any notice exhibited by or under orders of the Corporation or any municipal authority or any municipal officer or other municipal employee specified by the Commissioner in this behalf.

498. Prohibition against unauthorised dealings with public place or materials.—

No person shall, without authority in that behalf, remove earth, sand or other material or deposit any matter or make any encroachment from, in, or on any land vested in the Corporation or in any way obstruct the same.

499. Liability of Commissioner, etc., for loss, waste or misapplication of Municipal Fund or property.—

(1) 1[Every councillor and every person referred to in clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 3, the Commissioner,] 2*** and every municipal officer and other municipal employee shall be liable for the loss, waste or misapplication of any money or other property owned by or vested in Corporation, if such loss, waste or misapplication is a direct consequence of his neglect or misconduct and a suit for compensation may be instituted against him by the Corporation with the previous sanction of the 3*** Government or by the 3*** Government.

(2) Every such suit shall be instituted within three years after the date on which the cause of action arose.

500. Councillors and municipal officers and employees to be public servants.—

Every Councillor and every person referred to in clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 3, the Commissioner,] 5*** and every municipal officer and other municipal employee shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), and in the definition of “legal remuneration” in section 161 of that Code the word “Government” shall, for the purpose of this section, be deemed to include the Corporation.

501. Annual administration report.—

(1) As soon as may be after the 1st day of April in every year and not later than such date as may be fixed by the 6*** Government in this behalf, the Corporation shall submit to that Government a detailed report of the municipal government of Delhi during the preceding year in such form as that Government may direct.

(2) The Commissioner shall prepare such report and the Corporation shall consider it and forward the same to the 6*** Government with its resolution thereon, if any.

(3) Copies of the report shall be kept for sale at the municipal office.

502. Other laws not to be disregarded.—

Save as provided in this Act, nothing contained in this Act shall be construed as authorising the disregard by the Corporation or any municipal authority or any municipal officer or other municipal employee of any law for the time being in force.

503. Exemption of diplomatic or consular missions from payment of tax etc.—

The Central Government may, by order in the Official Gazette, exempt from the payment of any tax, rate, fee or other charge payable under the provisions of this Act, any diplomatic or consular mission of a foreign State or the High Commission of a Commonwealth country and any official of such mission or High Commission.

504. Construction of references.—

1* * * * *

(2) After the establishment of the Corporation any reference in any enactment, rule, bye-law, order, scheme, notification or other instrument having the force of law, to any of the bodies or local authorities specified in the Second Schedule shall, unless the context or subject otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to the Corporation.

505. [Amendment of Delhi Act 3 of 1955.]—

Rep. by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1960 (58 of 1960), s. 2 and the First Schedule (w.e.f. 26-12-1960).

506. [Amendment of Act 43 of 1950.]—

Rep. by s. 2 and the First Schedule, ibid. (w.e.f. 26-12-1960).

507. Special provisions as to rural areas.—

Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions of this Act,—

(a) the Corporation with the previous approval of the 2*** Government, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that any portion of the rural areas shall cease to be included therein and upon the issue of such notification that portion shall be included in and form part of the urban areas;

(b) the Corporation with the previous approval of the 2*** Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,—

(i) exempt the rural areas or any portion thereof from such of the provisions of this Act as it deems fit,

(ii) levy taxes, rates, fees and other charges in the rural areas or any portion thereof at rates lower than those at which such taxes, rates, fees and other charges are levied in the urban areas or exempt such areas or portion from any such tax, rate, fee or other charge;

(c) the Corporation shall pay a Gaon Sabha—

(i) an amount equal to the proceeds of the tax on profession, trades, callings and employments, as and when that tax is levied in the Gaon Sabha area, and

(ii) an amount equal to such portion of the proceeds of the property taxes on lands and buildings in that area as may from time to time to be determined by the Corporation, after deducting the cost of collection from such proceeds.

Explanation.—

In this section the expressions “Gaon Sabha” and “Gaon Sabha area” have the same meanings as in the Delhi Panchayat Raj Act, 1954 (Delhi Act 3 of 1955).

508. Special provisions as to Red Fort area.—

(1) In administering the provisions of this Act within the Red Fort area the Corporation shall comply with the military rules and regulations for the time being in force within that area.

(2) In this section the expression “Red Fort area” means the Red Fort and such areas continuous thereto as may be declared by the Central Government by notification in the Gazette of India to be included within the Red Fort area.

[508A. Corporation to undertake work on agency basis.—

Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, the Corporation may on such terms and conditions as may be determined by agreement between the Corporation and any authority, body or person, carry out any work which is not connected with its functions on agency basis.