17Establishment and incorporation of State Haj Committee

(1) With effect from such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint in this behalf, the Government of a State shall constitute a Committee by the name of the......[name of the State] Haj Committee:

Provided that in case it appears to the Central Government for any reasons that it is not necessary for a State or Union territory to establish a Haj Committee, it may authorise the State Haj Committee of a contiguous State to deal with those pilgrims and suggest suitable representation of those States and Union territories.

(2) The State Committee shall be a body corporate, by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, to create a charitable trust or endowment, and to contract and shall by the said name sue and be sued.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, an agreement may be entered into--

(a) by two or more Governments of contiguous States, or

(b) by the Central Government (in respect of one or more Union territories) and one or more Governments of States contiguous to such Union territory or Union territories,

to be in force for such period and to be subject to renewal for such further period, if any, as may be specified in the agreement to provide for the constitution of a Joint State Committee,--

(i) in a case referred to in clause (a), for all the participating States, and

(ii) in a case referred to in clause (b), for the participating Union territory or Union territories and the State or States.

(4) An agreement under this section shall be published, in a case referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (2), in the Official Gazette of the participating States and in a case referred to in clause (b) of that sub-section, in the Official Gazette of the participating Union territory or Union territories and participating State or States.

(5) Any reference in this Act to the State Committee shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as including a Joint State Committee.