Section 196 in The Gujarat Municipalities Act, 1963
196. Filthy buildings, etc.
(1)Whoever, being the owner or occupier of any building, land, whether tenantable or otherwise, suffers the same to be in a filthy and unwholesome state, or in the opinion of the Chief Officer a nuisance to persons residing in the neighbourhood, or overgrown with prickly-pear or rank and noisome vegetation and who shall not, within a reasonable time after notice in writing by the Chief Officer to cleanse, clear or otherwise put such building or land in a proper state have complied with the requisition contained in such notice, shall be punished with fine which may extend to fifty rupees and with further fine which may extend to ten rupees for every day on which the failure to comply with the said notice is continued after the date of the first conviction for such offence.(2)Deserted and offensive buildings. - Where any building, by reason of dilapidation, neglect, abandonment, Deserted disuse or disputed ownership, or of its remaining untenanted and thereby-(a)becoming a resort of idle and disorderly persons, or of persons who have no ostensible means of subsistence, or who cannot give a satisfactory account of themselves, or(b)coming into use for any insanitary or immoral purpose, or(c)affording a shelter to snakes, rats or other dangerous or offensive animals, is open to the objection that it is a nuisance, or so unwholesome or unsightly as to be a source of discomfort, inconvenience or annoyance to the neighbourhood or to persons passing by such building, the executive committee, if it considers such objection cannot under any other provision of this Act be otherwise removed, may, if there is any person known or resident within the municipal borough who claims to be the owner of such building, by written notice directed to such person, require such person, or in any other case by written notice fixed on the door or any other conspicuous part of the building, require all persons claiming to be interested in such building, within a period which shall be specified in the notice and shall not be less than seven days from the date of such notice, to cause such building to be taken down and the materials thereof to be removed; in the event of non-compliance with such requirement, the executive committee, on the expiration of the period specified as aforesaid may forthwith cause the building to be taken down and the materials to be removed, and may sell such materials and apply the proceeds to defray any expenses by it in so doing; all such expenses not thereby defrayed shall be recoverable in the same manner as an amount claimed on account of any tax recoverable under Chapter IX.
