The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006
33. Appeals to
Appellate Tribunal.-
1. Any
person aggrieved by an order or decision made by the Board under this Act may
prefer an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal: Provided that any person preferring
an appeal against an order or decision of the Board levying any penalty shall,
while filing the appeal, deposit the amount of such penalty: Provided further
that where in any particular case, the Appellate Tribunal is of the opinion
that deposit of such penalty would cause undue hardship to such person, it may
dispense with such deposit subject to such conditions as it may deem fit to
impose so as to safeguard the realisation of penalty.
2. Every
appeal under sub-section (1) shall be filed within a period of thirty days from
the date on which a copy of the direction or order of decision made by the
Board is received by the aggrieved person and it shall be in such form,
verified in such manner and be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed:
Provided that the Appellate Tribunal may entertain an appeal after the expiry
of the said period of thirty days if it is satisfied that there was sufficient
cause for not filing it within that period.
3. On
receipt of an appeal under sub-section (1), the Appellate Tribunal may, after
giving the parties an opportunity of being heard, pass such orders thereon as
it thinks fit.
4. The
Appellate Tribunal shall send a copy of every order made by it to the parties
to the appeal and to the Board.
5. The
appeal filed under sub-section (1) shall be dealt with by the Appellate
Tribunal as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made by it to
dispose of the appeal finally within ninety days from the date of receipt of
appeal: Provided that where any such appeal could not be disposed of within the
said period of ninety days, the Appellate Tribunal shall record its reasons in
writing for not disposing of the appeal within the said period.
6.
The
Appellate Tribunal may, for the purpose of examining the legality or propriety
or correctness of any order or decision of the Board referred to in the appeal
filed under sub-section (1), either on its own motion or otherwise, call for
the records relevant to disposing of such appeal and make such orders as it
thinks fit.