Section 2. Definitions

2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, — (a) "appointed day" means such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint for the formation of the autonomous State; (b) "article" means an article of the Constitution; (c) "autonomous State" means the autonomous State of Meghalaya formed under section 3; (d) "constituency" means a territorial constituency provided by order made under section 12 for the purpose of election to the Legislative Assembly; (e) "Election Commission" means the Election Commission appointed by the President under article 324; (f) "Governor" means the Governor of Assam exercising his functions as Governor in relation to Meghalaya by virtue of this Act; (g) "law" includes any enactment, Ordinance, regulation, order, bye-law, rule, scheme, notification or other instrument, having immediately before the appointed day, the force of law in the whole or in any part of the autonomous State; (h) "Legislative Assembly" means the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya; (i) "Meghalaya" means the autonomous State referred to in section 3; (j) "member" means a member of the Legislative Assembly; (k) "Official Gazette" means the Official Gazette of Meghayala or the Gazette of India; and (l) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act. THE SECOND SCHEDULE ( See sections 33 and 36) AUTONOMOUS STATE LIST [ See section 33(1)] Matters with respect to which the Legislative Assembly has exclusive power to make laws. PART A The following matters enumerated or to the extent included in List II — State List[1] . 2. Administration of justice; constitution and organisation of all courts, except the Supreme Court and the High Court; procedure in rent and revenue courts; fees taken in all courts except the Supreme Court and the High Court (Entry 3). 2. Offences against laws with respect to any of the matters in this Part (Entry 1). 2. Conversion of forests in catchment areas of projects referred to in entry 16 of Part A, financed by the Government of Assam wholly or in part and declared by the Legislature of the State of Assam by law to be projects of State importance (Entry 19 of List II). 2. Lands and goods.— (1) Subject to the other provisions contained in this Schedule, all land and all stores, articles and other goods held by the State of Assam within the territories of Meghalaya shall, on the appointed day, pass to Meghalaya, if the purposes for which they were held will be purposes of the autonomous State. (2) Stores relating to the Secretariat and offices of Heads of Departments having jurisdiction over the areas comprised partly in Meghalaya and partly in the rest of Assam and unissued stores shall be divided between the State of Assam and Meghalaya in accordance with such directions as the Central Government may think fit to issue for a just and equitable distribution thereof. between the State of Assam and Meghalaya in accordance with such directions as the — Explanation. In this paragraph, the expression "land" includes immovable property of every description and any rights in or over such property, and the expression "goods" does not include coins, bank notes and currency notes. 2. Provision has also been made in the Bill for the constitution of a provisional Legislative Assembly for Meghalaya pending general elections to the Assembly. In order to dovetail the scheme of the Bill with the main provisions of the Constitution, the autonomous State will be treated as a State for certain provisions of the Constitution specified in clause 67 of the Bill.