17. Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall
lie against the Central Government or against the Chairman or any other member of the Coal Board or
any officer thereof or any other person in respect of anything which is in good faith done or intended to be
done in pursuance of this Act or of any rules or orders made thereunder, or in pursuance of the Coal
Mines (Conservation, Safety and Development) Act, 1952 (12 of 1952) or any rule made thereunder.
18. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification and subject to the
condition of previous publication, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the forgoing power such rules may provide for all or any of
the following matters, namely:—
(a) the measures to be taken for the purpose of conservation of coal and maintenance of safety in
coal mines;
(b) the measures to be taken for the development of coal mines;
(c) the manner in which, and the conditions subject to which, sums at the credit of the Coal Mine
Conservation and Development Account may be applied;
(d) the form in which the Coal Mine Conservation and Development Account shall be kept;
(e) any other matter which is required to be, or may be, prescribed.
(3) Any rule made under the provisions of this Act may provide that the contravention thereof shall be
punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may
extend to two thousand rupees, or with both.
(4) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House
of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session
or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the
sessions or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or
both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such
modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or
annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.
19. [Repeal.] Rep. by Repealing and Amending Act 1978 (38 of 1978), s. 2 and the First Schedule
(w. e. f. 26-11-1978).