86.
| (1) Every Farmers' Organisation shall, within its area of authority-
| | (a) encourage and extend the cultivation of agricultural lands or paddy cultivation or any other form of cultivation ; | | |
| | (b) enforce the established customs affecting paddy cultivation or other forms of cultivation; | | |
| | (c) ensure the proper timing of agricultural operations: | | |
| | (d) ensure the efficient management of water, irrigation works and water used for agricultural activities; | | |
| | (e) attend to matters relating to irrigation works in accordance with established customs of cultivation: | | |
| | (f) take measures for the conservation of soil and the protection of crops against pests and diseases; | | |
| | (g) every farmers organisation shall within its area of authority take such steps to ensure the cutting and removal of thicket in highland adjoining any extent of paddy land and the cutting and removal of shrub forest which interferes with an agricultural crop which has been cultivated on an extent of paddy land or an extent of highland; and | | |
| | (h) for the purpose of making rules relating to the development of land and collective agricultural activities, convene meetings of the owner-cultivators and occupiers of agricultural lane of the area. | | |
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| (2) Where any meeting is convened under the provisions of this section, the Farmers' organisation or any other person generally or specially authorized in that behalf by such Farmers' Organisation shall cause notice 10 be given of the date, time and place of the meeting and its objects. |
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| (3) The notice referred to in subsection (2). shall be given by exhibiting written notices in suitable places within the area and in such other manner as may appear adequate for giving publicity thereto, |
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| (4) A person named by the Farmers' Organisation or any other person generally or specially authorized in that behalf by the Farmers' Organisation shall preside at every meeting held under the provisions of this section. |
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| (5) The Commissioner-General of Agrarian Development or any person generally or specially authorised by him in that behalf shall maintain minutes of every meeting held under the provisions of this section. |
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| (6) A meeting convened under the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be validly constituted unless there are present at such meeting at least one fourth or twenty-five per centum of the total number of owner cultivators or occupiers of agricultural land in the area of authority of the Farmers' Organisation. If there has been no quorum at two consecutive meetings, the person acting as the Presiding Officer shall adjourn the second meeting and shall fix a date for the third meeting. If there is no quorum for the third meeting, it shall be deemed to be validly constituted for all purposes, notwithstanding the lack of a quorum, |
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| (7) In the event of any failure to convene the meetings in compliance with the provisions of this section by any Farmers' Organisation it shall be lawful for the Agrarian Development Council of that area of authority to comply with the provisions of this section. |
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| (8) Any rule made at a meeting under the provisions of this section shall be adopted by those present at the meeting and shall thereafter be binding on the owner cultivators and occupiers in the area of the authority of Farmers' Organisation. |
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| (9)
| | (a) If at any meeting held under the provisions of this section any question arises as to the right of any person to vote, the Presiding Officer shall decide that question. | | |
| | (b) Where there is an equality of votes in respect of any matter, the Presiding Officer shall have a casting vote. | | |
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| (10) The minutes of the proceedings of every such meeting shall be maintained by the person authorized under subsection (5) of this section and such minutes shall be signed by such authorized person and the Presiding Officer, and shall be evidence of the contents thereof. |
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| (11) Where a landlord or occupier of any agricultural land acts in contravention of a rule adopted at a meeting held as provided in this section he shall be guilty of an offence under this Act. |
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Sri Lanka Consolidated Acts