(1)As soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish a Board to be called the Gujarat Maritime Board.(2)The Board shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid having perpetual succession and a common seal with power, subject to the provisions of this Act to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and to contract, and may by the said name sue and be sued.(3)The head office of the Board shall be at such place as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct.(4)[ The Board shall consist of such number of members, not being less than five and not more than twelve, who shall be appointed by the State Government as follows, namely-(a)three members appointed by virtue of their office amongst officers of the State Government, of whom-(i)one shall be a representative of the department incharge of the administration of minor ports in the State,(ii)one shall be the Commissioner of Fisheries, and(iii)one shall be a representative of the Finance Department;(b)the other members appointed from amongst the persons who are, in the opinion of the State Government, having expertise or experience in or capable of representing any one or more of the interests of shipping, navigation, ports, sailing vessels, fisheries, trade, commerce, finance, industry, workers of minor ports and such other interests, as in the opinion of the State Government, ought to be represented on the Board.)(5)The Chief Executive Officer of the Board appointed as such under Section 17 shall be an ex-officio member of the Board and he shall also be its Vice-Chairman.(6)The State Government shall appoint one of the members appointed under subsection (4) to be the Chairman of the Board.] [Sub-section (4) was substituted by Gujarat 3 of 1996, Section 2 (w.r.e.f. 08-09-1995).]
