Section 31A — Adjudication of penalties.

¹[31A. Adjudication of penalties.––(1) For the purpose of adjudicating penalties under this Act, the appropriate Government may, by an order published in the Official Gazette, appoint one or more adjudicating officers, not below the rank of Assistant Apprenticeship Adviser, as an adjudicating officer for holding an inquiry and imposing penalties in such manner as may be prescribed:

Provided that no such penalty shall be imposed without giving the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

(2) Whoever is aggrieved by an order of the adjudicating officer under sub-section (1) may, within thirty days from the date of receipt of such order, prefer an appeal to the appellate authority who shall be an officer not below the rank of Deputy Apprenticeship Adviser, appointed by the appropriate Government, in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

(3) An appeal may be admitted after the expiry of the period of thirty days if the appellant satisfies the appellate authority that he had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within that period.

(4) The appellate authority may, after giving the parties to the appeal an opportunity of being heard, pass such order as he may think fit.

(5) An appeal under sub-section (2) shall be disposed of within sixty days from the date of filing

(6) If a penalty imposed by the adjudicating officer under sub-section (1) or by an order of the appellate authority under sub-section (4), as the case may be, is not deposited, the amount shall be recovered as an arrear of land revenue.]