Section 54:
Contracts.
(1) Where, before the appointed day, the existing State of Bihar has made any
contract in the exercise of its executive power for any purposes of the State, that contract shall be deemed
to have been made in the exercise of the executive power—
(a) if the purposes of the contract are, on and from the appointed day, exclusive purposes of either
of the successor States of Bihar and Jharkhand; and
(b) any other case, of the State of Bihar,and all rights and liabilities which have accrued, or may accrue under any such contract shall, to the
extent to which they would have been rights or liabilities of the existing State of Bihar, be rights or
liabilities of the State of Jharkhand or the State of Bihar, as the case may be:
Provided that in any such case as is referred to in clause (b), the initial allocation of rights and
liabilities made by this sub-section shall be subject to such financial adjustment as may be agreed upon
between the successor States of Bihar and Jharkhand or in default of such agreement, as the Central
Government may, by order, direct.
(2) For the purposes of this section, there shall be deemed to be included in the liabilities which have
accrued or may accrue under any contract—
(a) any liability to satisfy an order or award made by any court or other tribunal in proceedings
relating to the contract; and
(b) any liability in respect of expenses incurred in or in connection with any such proceedings.
(3) This section shall have effect subject to the other provisions of this Part relating to the
apportionment of liabilities in respect of loans, guarantees and other financial obligations; and bank
balances and securities shall, notwithstanding that the partake of the nature of contractual rights, be dealt
with under those provisions.