(Section 3.) - (1) On or after the first day of July each year, the auctioning authority shall put to public auction, the right of fishing in any water specified in the Schedule of portion of such waters. The auctioning authority shall be assisted by the Committee consisting of Deputy Director, Fisheries, Fisheries Development Officer-in-charge of the District concerned and of the adjoining district and a representative of the Revenue Department not below the rank of a Naib-Tehsildar. No person shall be allowed to bid unless he has deposited an amount as specified by Director, Fisheries in cash as earnest money with the auctioning authority.(2)In case the highest bid at the time of auction is not of a Fishermen Co-operative Society registered under the law relating to the registration of Co-operative Societies for the time being in force, the auctioning authority shall not accept that bid unless the same is at least 10% more than the highest bid of the Fishermen Co-operative Society:Provided that in case the highest bi is below the average of the contract amount received during the previous three years the auctioning authority may not accept the highest bid or the bid of the Fishermen Co-operative Society, as the case may be, in which case the fishing rights will be re-auctioned.(3)The amount of earnest money deposited by the unsuccessful bidders would be returned to them as soon as bid has been accepted. In the case of the successful bidder the amount of earnest money may be returned after the issue of the licence.(4)The auctioning authority may cancel the auction if the bid offered is not reasonable; in such an event the fishing may be done departmentally or on loyalty basis.
