Appointment of Authorized Officers and their powers.

(1) The Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such officers of the Revenue Department not below the rank of Sub-Divisional Officer as authorized officers and may determine the area of jurisdiction within which they shall exercise their powers under this Act. (2) An Authorized Officer may, on receipt of information from the reporting officer- (a) enter any premises or any place connected therewith with such preparation as he thinks necessary for the inspection or investigation into the alleged offence under this Act; (b) require any person to stop any act in contravention of section 3; (c) seize any vehicle or other conveyances or any implements used or purported to be used in contravention of the provisions of this Act and send a report to the Deputy Commissioner for initiating proceedings for their confiscation; (d) require any person to furnish such information as he may consider necessary; (e) take photographs, make inventories or do other things necessary for collecting evidence regarding the commission of the offence and send a report to the Court of competent jurisdiction in order to prosecute the accused. (3) Any person required to produce any document or thing or to give any information to an Authorised Officer under this section shall be legally bound to do so within the meaning of sections 175 and 176 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Central Act 45 of 1860). (4) Every Authorised Officer appointed under this section shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (Central Act, 45 of 1860). (5) If an officer authorised under sub-section (1) fails to take action on the basis of the report regarding the violation of the Act submitted by the reporting officer under section 6, he shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 18.