THE UTTAR PRADESH PRAYAGRAJ MELA AUTHORITY, ALLAHABAD ACT, 2017

English — official source version

english5of2018.pdf.txt

 

No. 2730(2)/LXXIX-V-1-17-1(ka) 23/17 

Dated Lucknow, January 6, 2018 

IN pursuance of the provisions of clause (3) of Article 348 of the Constitution, the Governor is 

pleased to order the publication of the follo wi ng English translation of the Uttar Pradesh Pra ya graj 

Mela Pradhikaran, Allahabad Adhiniyam, 2017 (Uttar Pradesh Adhiniyam Sankhya 5 of 2018) as passed 

by the 

Uttar Pradesh Legislature and assented to by the Governor on January 5, 2018. 

THE UTTAR PRADESH PRAYAGRAJ MELA AUTHORITY, 

ALLAHABAD ACT, 2017 

(U.P. ACT NO. 5 OF 2018) 

[As passed by the Uttar Pradesh Legislature] 

AN 
to provide for the establishment of an authority to be known as the Prayagraj Mela 

ACT 
Authority, Allahabad for management of Melas to be organized at Allahabad in the 
month of Magh and Falgun (January and February) and Kumbh and Maha Kumbh at 

intervals of every six years and twelve years respectively at the confluence of rivers 
 
 
 
 

 
Short title and 
commencement 

Ganga,Yamuna and mystical Saraswati 

IT IS HEREBY enacted in the Sixty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as 
follows:– 

1. (1) This Act may be called the Uttar Pradesh Prayagraj Mela Authority, 

Allahabad Act, 2017. 

(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on November 30, 2017. 

(3) It extends to the area of Sangam, Allahabad or such area as may be 

notified by State Government in the Gazette. 

Definitions 2. In this Act unless the context otherwise requires, - 

(a) ‘Additional Mela Adhikari’ means an Officer appointed by District 
Magistrate for assisting the Mela Adhikari and perform the roles and 
responsibilities of Mela Adhikari in his absence; 

(b) 'Kumbh Mela' means a religious fair organized at an interval of 
every six years at Sangam; 

(c) 'Authority' means The Prayagraj Mela Authority, Allahabad 
established under section 3; 

(d) 'Chief Executive Officer' means the officer appointed by the State 
Government as Mela Adhikari; 

(e) ‘Commissioner’ means the Commissioner of Allahabad Division or 
such officer as may be appointed by the State Government; 

(f) 'District Magistrate' means the District Magistrate of Allahabad; 

(g) 'Fund' means a fund under section 17; 

(h) 'Green Zone' means an area free from polythene, garbage and any 
such activity which may pollute environment and is contrary to Swachh 
Bharat Mission of the Central Government; 

(i) 'Maha Kumbh Mela' means 
of every twelve years at Sangam; 

a religious fair organized at an interval 

(j) 'Magh Mela' means a religious fair organised between Poornima 
of the month Magh and Mahashivratri day falling in the month of Falgun 
Vikram Samvat at the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and 
mystical Saraswati ; 



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(k)  ‘Mela Adhikari’ means an   officer appointed by   the State 
Government for the executing and managing the Mela affairs under the 
supervision of the Authority ; 

(l) 'Mela Area' means an area surroundings Sangam as notified by the 
District Magistrate, Allahabad in official gazzette defining the limits of the 
Mela area in accordance with the rules; 

(m) 'Religious Congregation' means small and large gathering of men, 
women and children to perform religious rituals at the confluence of Ganga, 
Yamuna and mystical Saraswati and it's surroundings; 

(n) 'Sangam' means the place of confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna 

and mystical Saraswati and the surroundings thereof. 

3. (i) The State Government shall within three months from the date of 
commencement of this Act, by notification, establish an ‘Authority’ to be known as 
‘Prayagraj Mela Authority, Allahabad’ to exercise the powers conferred and perform the 
functions assigned to it under this Act. 

(ii) The Authority shall be a body corporate. 

(iii) The Head Quarter of the Authority shall be at Allahabad. 

4. The Authority shall consist of the following members:- 

Establishment of 
the Authority 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Composition of 
the Authority 

(i) The Commissioner, 
Division 

Allahabad Chairperson 

(ii) Inspector General of Police, Vice-Chairperson 
Allahabad Zone 

(iii) The District Magistrate, Allahabad 
 

Vice-Chairperson 

(iv) Mela Adhikari / Mela Magistrate The Chief executive officer/ 
Secretary (Appointed by the 
State Government at the time 
of Maha Kumbh Mela   or 

 
(v) Additional Mela Adhikari/ Additional Mela 
Magistrate, 

 
 
 

 
(vi) Vice-Chairman, Allahabad Development 
Authority , Allahabad. 

(vii) Senior Superintendent of Police, Allahabad 

(viii) Senior Superintendent of Police 
(Maha Kumbh Mela/Kumbh Mela, Allahabad) 

(ix) Municipal Commissioner, Municipal 
Corporation, Allahabad 

(x) Joint Director Treasury, Allahabad 

(xi) Managing Director, City Transport 
Services 

(xii) Chief Medical Officer, Allahabad 

(xiii) Superintending Engineer Irrigation 
Department, Allahabad 
(xiv) Superintending Engineer, P.W.D., 
Allahabad 

(xv) Superintending Engineer, Jal Nigam, 
Allahabad 

Kumbh Mela) 

Member/Secretary Appointed 
by the State Government at the 
time of Maha Kumbha Mela or 
Kumbha Mela or an officiating 
Mela Adhikari appointed by 
District Magistrate Allahabad 
will be the Member Secretary 

Member 

 
Member 

Member 

 
Member 

 
Member 

Member 

 
Member 

Member 

 
Member 

Member 



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(xvi) Superintending Engineer, Purvanchal Vidyut 
Vitran Nigam, Allahabad 

(xvii) Chief Executive Officer, Cantonment Board, 
Allahabad 

(xviii) Officer In-charge, Ganga Pollution Control 
Board Unit, Allahabad 

(xix) A Representative of the Army 

(xx) Three members to be nominated by the 
State Government, who shall be an eminent 
persons 

Member 

Member 

Member 

Member 

Member 

The Staff of 5. . (1 ) The Authority shall have such permanent and temporary staff to run i ts 
the Authority office and day to day work. 

(2) The Authority may, with the approval of State Government, create posts of the 
officers and employees of the Authority . 

(3) The terms and conditions of the service including the salaries and allowances of 
the staff appointed under sub section (1) shall be finalized with the approval of the State 
Government. 

(4) For the purpose of carrying out its functions under this Act the Authority 
may requisition the services of any officer or employee with the approval of the State 
Government. 

(5) Staff referred in sub section (1) shall be under the administrative and 
disciplinary control of the Chairperson, who shall be the appointing Authority but perform 
the duties under the direct control of the Mela Adhikari/Secretary. 

Functions of the 
Authority 

6. The powers and functions of the Authority shall be, - 

(a) to enter into agreement for a long term lease of such Cantonment/other 
land at the Mela area to provide and create such infrastructure as the Authority 
may decide for better management and administration of Mela throughout the 
year; 

(b) to provide for such civic amenities in the Mela Area keeping in view the 
health of people and provide pollution free clean environment as per the 
guidelines and rules; 

(c) to provide for health facilities in the Mela area and activities to make 
the Mela area free from diseases, insects and pests throughout the year and also 
to provide for supply of clean potable water and first aid facilities in the Mela 
area; 

(d) to provide for Electricity in the Sangam and Mela Area by 
temporary or permanent structure as may be permissible and required 
keeping in view the shifting banks of river Ganga and Yamuna ; 

(e) to provide for a permanent Police Station equipped with all 
infrastructure so as to control and administer religious congregation in the Mela 

 
 
 
 

Power of the 
Authority to 
impose tolls 

area and to maintain law and order in the area; 

(f) to develop and maintain Green Zone in and around Mela and 
Sangam Area. 

7. The Authority may by bye-laws impose within the Mela area, - 
 

(a) Tolls on the parking of vehicle or entering any vehicle or any person 
bringing goods for sale or for demonstration/ advertisement into the Mela 
area; 

(b) fee on the registration of activity of business, trade or profession ; 

(c)  fee on the services provided to individual as service charge ; 



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(d)  any other charge and fee in Mela Area as the Authority thinks fit and 
necessary in the interest of the Mela. 

8. The Authority, may, by bye-laws, prescribe fee on payment of which, and 
conditions subject to which a person or class of persons may be granted license to 
carry on any profession, trade or calling in the Mela area. 

 

Power of the 
Authority to grant 
License 

9. The Authority shall have a permanent office in a building at Allahabad with Place of sitting 

all infrastructure to meet the requirement of holding meetings of the Authority from time 
to time. 

10. (1) The Authority shall hold at least one meeting in every three months. 
(2) The time and place of meeting within Allahabad shall be fixed by the 

Chairperson. 

Meetings of the 
Authority 

(3) The Authority may by bye-laws prescribe the procedure of the meetings. 

11. (1) Where any business is required to be transacted quorum shall be at least 
one half of the members of the Authority. 

Quorum for a 
meeting 

(2) Where any meeting could not be held due to want of quorum, the 
Chairperson shall direct that the meeting to transact the business of said meeting shall 
be held at such time and place in Allahabad as he thinks fit and thereupon the 
Secretary shall give notice to all members of the Authority. 

12. The State Government may by notification make rules for carrying out 
the purposes of this Act. 

 

Power to make 
rules 

 

13. The Authority may make  regulations  to provide for the terms and Power to make 

conditions  of  service including the  salary and allowances  of  the officers and regulations 

employees of the Authority. 

14.  The Authority shall make bye-laws for prescribing the procedure of Power to make 

functioning of the Authority. 

15. (1) The bye-laws 
make 

bye-laws 
 

of the Authority shall be made in the following manner,– How to 

bye-laws 

(i) Preparation of the bye-laws draft– The secretary shall prepare and put up 
the proposed draft before authority with the consent of the Chairperson. The 
Authority may sanction with or without amendment of the draft of the bye-laws ; 

 
(ii) Hearing by authority of objection or suggestion to proposed draft bye-

laws – No bye-law shall be made by the Authority unless, 

(a) A notice of intention of the Authority to take such bye-laws into 
consideration on or after a date to be specified in the notice shall be given 
in two newspapers, before such date ; 

(b) A certified copy of the bye laws shall be kept at the office of the 
secretary and made available for public inspection free of charge by any 
person desiring to pursue the same at reasonable point from the date of 
notice given under sub-clause (a); 

(c) Printed Copies of such bye-laws shall be delivered to any person 
requiring the same 
secretary per copy ; 

on payment of such fee, as may be fixed by the 

(d) All objections and suggestions which may be made in writing by 
any person with respect thereto before the date of the notice given under 
clause (a) shall have been considered by the authority or by officer 
authorized by Authority for the purpose ; 

(iii) Bye-laws to be published– The bye-laws made under clause (ii) shall 
be published in the Gazette ; 

(iv) Copies of bye-laws to be kept on sale–The secretary shall cause 
bye-laws to be printed and shall cause printed copies thereof to be delivered to 
any person requiring the same on payment of such fee for each copy, as 
fixed by the secretary ; 

may be 



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(v) Copies of the bye-laws for the time being in force shall be kept for public 
inspection in some part of Authority office to which the general public has access and 
such other places, if any, as secretary thinks fit. 

(2) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall mutatis mutandis apply in the 
modification of bye laws . 

Power of State 16. (1) If at any time it appears to the State Government that any bye-law 
Government to should be modified or rescissioned either wholly or in part, it shall communicate its 
modify or repeal reason for such opinion to the Authority and prescribe reasonable period within which 
bye-laws the Authority may make any representation with regard thereto, which it shall think fit. 

(2) After receipt and consideration of any such representation or, if in the 
meantime no such representation is received, of the expiry of the prescribed period, the 
State Government may at any time, by notification in the Gazette, modify or repeal 
such bye-laws either wholly or in part. 

(3) The modification or repeal of the bye-laws under sub-section (1) shall be 
effective from the date of publication thereof in the Gazette. 

Fund 17. (1) The Authority shall have own funds to be raised from such revenue 
sources as may be prescribed by it under the bye-laws the funds and finances as 
may be provided by the State Government for organizing Kumbh Mela or Maha 
Kumbh Mela or any other Mela within the area of Magh Mela. 

(2) The fund shall be operated by the Mela Adhikari, Allahabad with the 
approval of the Chairperson of the Authority. 

18. No public gathering other than the religious congregation as defined 
under this Act shall be permitted to be organized in the Mela area except with the 
prior permission of the Authority. 

19. No activity of any kind and no small or ·large gathering of men and women 
or children will be permitted in the Sangam Area which may be hazardous to 
environment, public peace and tranquility. 

20. The State Government may by notification confer upon the authority any of 
the power of the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959, and upon issue 
of such notification the provisions of the sections shall apply to the Mela area as if the 
Mela area is the part of a "Municipal Corporation" and the Officer ln-charge of the 
Authority were Municipal Commissioner defined in the said Act and as if a 

 
 

Penalties 

contravention of the provisions of any orders of the Officer ln-charge shall be deemed 
contravention of the said Act . 

21. Any person who,— 
(a) makes any unauthorized construction; or 
(b) uses any unauthorized place as a latrine, urinal or rubbish dump; or 
(c)  plies any profession, trade or calling without a license obtained 

under the provisions of section 8 or commits a breach of the conditions of 
such license; or 

(d) contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or of any rules/ 
bye-laws made under this Act; or 

(e) disobeys any order or direction in writing lawfully issued under this 
Act, 

shall be punishable on conviction with by fine which may extend to (one thousand 
rupees) and where the offence is a continuing or recurring one with a further fine 
which may extend to (one hundred rupees) for every day after the date of first 

 
Amendment of 

conviction during which the offender is proved to have persisted in such offence. 
22. In the United Provinces Melas Act, 1938,- 

U.P. Act no.xvi 
of 1938 (a) 

(b) 

Section-3 shall be omitted; 

In section 4 ,- 

(1) in the first proviso, the words 'at Allahabad and' shall be omitted; 

(2) the second proviso shall be omitted. 



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23. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, by Power to 

reasons of anything contained in this Act, or any other enactment for the time being in 
force, the State Government may, as the occasion requires, by order direct that this Act, 
shall, during a period not exceeding twelve months after the date of such order have effect 
subject to such adaptations, whether by way of modifications, addition or omission, as it 
may deem to be necessary and expedient. 

(2) No order under sub-section (1) shall be made after the expiration of a period of 

remove 
difficulties 

two years from the commencement of this Act. 

U.P.Ordinance 24. (1) The Uttar Pradesh Prayagraj Mela Authority, Allahabad Repeal and 
no. 4 of 2017 Ordinance, 2017 is hereby repealed. saving 

(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken 
under the provisions of the principal Act as amended by the Ordinance 
referred to in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to have been done or taken 
under the corresponding provisions of the principal Act as amended by this 
Act as if the provisions of this Act were in force at all material times. 

————— 
 

STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS 
 

At the confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and Mystical Saraswati situated in district Allahabad 

of Uttar Pradesh Kumbh Mela and Ardha Kumbh Mela are organised at every twelve years and six years 

respectively. In the residuary period Magh Mela is organised every year. The said Melas are organised 

under the relevant provisions of the United Provinces Melas Act, 1938. Essential Facilities are being 

provided to the pilgrims in the Sangam region from the months of January to March every years. For this 

purpose budget provisions are made by the State Government. The Mela Administration is responsible to 

provide essential facilities to the pilgrims. Besides the said Melas thousands of pilgrims come to the 

Sangam region everyday for holy dip in the remaining period. The said number of pilgrims reaches in 

lakhs on Amavasya days. In the said period, essential facilities could not be made available to the pilgrims. 

It has therefore been decided to make a law to establish an authority by the name of Prayagraj   Mela 

Authority, Allahabad for the management of Melas to be organised at Allahabad in the month of Magh and 

Falgun (January and February) and Ardha Kumbh Mela and Kumbh Mela at intervals of every six years 

and twelve years respectively at the confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and Mystical Saraswati. It has also 

been decided to change the name of Ardha Kumbh Mela and Kumbh Mela as the Kumbh Mela and Maha 

Kumbh Mela respectively. 

Since the State Legislature was not in session and immediate Legislature action was necessary to 

implement the aforesaid decisions, the “Uttar Pradesh Prayagraj Mela Authority, Allahabad Ordinance, 

2017 (U.P. Ordinance no. 4 of 2017)” was promulgated by the Governor on November 13, 2017. 

This Bill is introduced to replace the aforesaid Ordinance. 
 
 

By order, 
VIRENDRA KUMAR SRIVASTAVA, 

Pramukh Sachiv.