Section 2. It is considered desirable that the people in the Hill Areas should be more closely associated in th

2. It is considered desirable that the people in the Hill Areas should be more closely associated in the development of those areas. With this object in view, it is proposed that the Hill Areas, as determined by the President under section 52 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, may be divided into autonomous districts and a District Council may be constituted for each autonomous district. The elections to the District Councils would be on the basis of adult franchise. The District Councils would be on the lines of the former Territorial Councils, with adequate executive powers to deal with matters of local development and other matters of importance to the tribals. The District Councils would have power to levy and collect taxes and fees like taxes on professions, trades, callings, and school fees. The District Councils would also be competent to recommend legislation relating to matters like appointment or succession of Chiefs, inheritance of property and social customs insofar as they concern members of the Scheduled Tribes. The Bill is intended to achieve this object. 2. Definitions . — In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, — (a) "Administrator" means the administrator of the Union territory of Manipur appointed under article 239 of the Constitution; (b) "autonomous district" means an autonomous district referred to in sub-section (1) of section 3; (c) "building" includes a house, out-house, stable, latrine, urinal, shed, hut, wall (other than boundary wall) and any other structure (whether of masonry, bricks, wood, mud or other material) but does not include any portable or temporary shelter; (d) "constituency" means a District Council constituency provided by order made under section 5 for the purpose of elections to the District Council; (e) "Deputy Commissioner", in relation to any District Council, means the officer appointed as such by the Administrator, by notification in the Official Gazette, to perform the functions of the Deputy Commissioner under this Act in the autonomous district for which such District Council has been constituted; (f) "Hill Areas" means the Hill Areas determined by the President by any notification issued under sub-section (2) of section 52 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963) and in force immediately before the commencement of this Act; (g) "Hill Areas Committee" means the Standing Committee referred to in section 52 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963); (h) "market" includes any place where persons assemble for the sale of, or for the purpose of exposing for sale of, meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, animals intended for human food or any other articles of human food whatsoever with or without the consent of the owner of such place notwithstanding that there may be no common regulation for the concourse of buyers and sellers and whether or not any control is exercised over the business of, or the persons frequenting, the market by the owner of the place or by any other persons; (i) "member" means a member of a District Council constituted under this Act; (j) "Official Gazette" means the Gazette of the Union territory of Manipur; (k) "person" does not include a body of persons; (l) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (m) "Scheduled Tribes" has the same meaning assigned to it in clause (25) of article 366 of the Constitution; (n) "vehicle" includes a carriage, cart, hand-cart, bicycle, tricycle and every wheeled conveyance which is used or is capable of being used on a street but does not include a mechanically propelled vehicle.