Section 34A — Adjudication of penalties.

¹[34A. Adjudication of penalties.---(1) For the purpose of adjudicating penalties under clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 34, the Administrator of the Union territory concerned may appoint an officer not below the rank of Deputy Commissioner or Deputy Collector or any officer equivalent in rank as an adjudicating officer for holding an inquiry and imposing penalties:

Provided that the Administrator of the Union territory concerned may appoint as many adjudicating officers as may be required.

(2) The adjudicating officer may summon and enforce the attendance of any person acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case to give evidence or to produce any document, which in the opinion of the adjudicating officer may be useful for, or relevant to, the subject-matter of the inquiry, and if, on such inquiry, is satisfied that the person concerned has contravened any rule made under sub-section (1) of section 34, he may impose penalty as deemed fit, subject to the amount mentioned under clause (b) of sub-section (3) of the said section:

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