16. Power to direct payment of amount of any decree by instalments.
- Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law or in anything having the force of law or in any contract between the money-lender and the person to whom the loan was advanced, the Court may, subject to the provisions of Section 17, direct at any time on the application of the Judgement debtor, after notice to the decree holder, that the amount of any decree passed before or after the commencement of this Act in respect of a loan, including any decree in a suit relating to a mortgage by which a loan is secured, shall be paid in such number of instalments and subject to such conditions and on such dates as it considers fit;Provided that in case of any member of a Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, the court in fixing such date may postpone the payment of the first instalment for a period not exceeding five years from the date of the order without any interest for such period.
