P.R. Laws tit. 28, § 73
The Land Authority is hereby empowered by §§ 71—73, 75, 76 and 78 of this title to exercise all the rights and powers that are necessary and convenient to execute the “Program to Reclaim Barren Lands in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”, including, but without limiting the scope of those purposes, the following:
(1) Carry out technical or economic studies and research, or of any other nature, of barren lands in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(2) Acquire lands for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to be reclaimed through irrigation, by purchase, conveyance, transfer, permutation, lease, bequest, or gift.
(3) Develop all constructions and works needed to irrigate the barren lands in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(4) [At] its discretion, contract the services of natural or juridical persons to carry out the necessary surveys of barren areas in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as to contract with said persons [for] the partial or total construction of the works needed for the irrigation of barren lands.
(5) To purchase directly such equipment and supplies as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the program hereby established.
(6) To appoint all the personnel necessary for the best operation of this program; to determine their salaries and to fix their duties, all without being subject to the acts creating the Office of Personnel of the Commonwealth Government, and regulations thereunder.
(7) Alienate, lease or devote to the purposes specified in the Puerto Rico Land Law, the lands acquired or that have been acquired for reclaiming, through irrigation. The authority conferred in this subsection is subject to the determination by the Council of Secretaries of Puerto Rico, of the terms and conditions of the alienation, lease or use of said lands, in each case, when used for other than the purposes specified in the Land [Law].
(8) As regards the starting and administration of the said land reclamation program it shall further have all the powers specifically vested in the Authority by the Land Law.
History —June 9, 1948, No. 40, p. 110, § 3; Dec. 24, 1998, No. 317, § 3.