The Energy Conservation Act, 2001
27. Power to
adjudicate.-
1. For
the purpose of adjudging under section 26, the State Commission shall appoint
any of its members to be an adjudicating officer for holding an inquiry in such
manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government, after giving any person
concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard for the purpose of imposing
any penalty.
2. While
holding an inquiry the adjudicating officer shall have power to summon and
enforce the attendance of any person acquainted with the facts and
circumstances of the case to give evidence or 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, he is satisfied that
the person has failed to comply with the provisions of any of the clauses of
the sections specified in section 26, he may impose such penalty as he thinks
fit in accordance with the provisions of any of those clauses of that section:
Provided that where a State Commission has not been established in a State, the
Government of that State shall appoint any of its officer not below the rank
equivalent to a Secretary dealing with legal affairs in that State to be an
adjudicating officer for the purposes of this section and such officer shall
cease to be an adjudicating officer immediately on the appointment of an
adjudicating officer by the State Commission on its establishment in that
State:
Provided further that
where an adjudicating officer appointed by a State Government ceased to be an
adjudicating officer, he shall transfer to the adjudicating officer appointed
by the State Commission all matters being adjudicated by him and thereafter the
adjudicating officer appointed by the State Commission shall adjudicate the
penalties on such matters.