57. Fees payable for licences. -(1) (a) Every licence granted or renewed under these rules shall, save as herein otherwise expressly provided be chargeable with the fee (if any) specified in the form in which it is granted or renewed.
(b) In any case where fee is prescribed for a year, fee for a fraction of a year shall be the same as for a whole year.
(2) Where a licensee submits his application for renewal of his licence after the expiry of the period for which the licence was granted, the licensing authority may, if he decided to renew the licence, at his discretion levy-
(a) Full fee as for initial grant of the licence, and
(b) If he is satisfied that the delay is not justifiable or excusable, not serious enough to warrant revocation of the licence or prosecution of the licensee, a late fee not exceeding the amount of the licence fee, if fee is charged, or Rs. 5 in other cases.
(3) The Central Government may, by general or special order and for reasons to be recorded in writing and subject to such conditions, if any, as it may specify in the order, grant exemption from, or reduction of, the fee payable in respect of any licence:
Provided that it shall be a condition of every exemption from payment of the fee chargeable in respect of the grant or renewal of any licence in Form III that if application for renewal of such licence is not made within one month from the date on which the licence expires, the licensing authority may, unless the applicant satisfies the licensing authority that he had sufficient cause for not making the application within that period, levy renewal fee at the rate specified in the Form.
(4) No separate fees shall be chargeable from retainers.
(5) No fee shall be chargeable in respect of the grant or renewal. of a licence in Form XV by a State Government or the Board of Revenue (in the State of Andhra Pradesh Kerala or Madras), for the import of sulphur in reasonable quantities, if the State Government or the Board of Revenue is satisfied that the sulphur is required in good faith for medicinal, industrial or agricultural purposes (other that) for manufacturing arms, ammunition or explosives).
(6) Any political representative authorised to grant a licence in Form XVIII may remit the fee payable in respect of the grant or renewal of any such licence in the case of arms or ammunition exported for personal use, or in the case of ammunition exported for use for blasting purposes (whether on a public work or not) of the Government of any territory or place outside India.
(7) (i) No fee shall be chargeable for the grant of a licence for export and re-import of any arms or ammunition in a case or package legibly addressed to a person lawfully entitled to possess such articles in compliance with a requisition made by such person for the supply of such articles in reasonable quantities for his own use or after carrying out necessary repairs thereto.
(ii) Where any arms or ammunition are imported under a licence into any customs port in India and re-exported thence for re-import into any other customs port in India under rule 35, the necessary licence for such re-export and re-import under the said rule shall be chargeable with a fee of rupee one only.
(8) No fee shall be chargeable in respect of-
(i) A change of description of the weapon entered in a licence, granted for its acquisition under the proviso to rule 52(2) but if the licence fee in respect of the weapon so changed is higher than that for the original weapon, the difference of such fee may be charged,
(ii) An endorsement under rule 12 of a licence granted in the State of Pondicherry or endorsement to extend or change the area of validity of a licence under sub-rule (1) of rule 53-,
(iii) A change of name, under rule 53(2), of member, agent or other representative of the company or a retainer; or
(iv) A grant of consent or permit/certificate or endorsement or any other document under these rules, except as otherwise expressly provided.
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