Every public authority shall designate such officers as Appellate authorities as may be necessary in all the administrative Departments and offices as provided in clause (a) of section 2.

Filing of appeal 11.

1. (1) Every complaint forwarded along with the details under section 9 shall be deemed to have filed an appeal to the Appellate Authority.
2. (2) Any person aggrieved by a decision of the concerned Grievance Redressal Officer or who has not been informed in writing the manner in which his grievance has been redressed in respect of a complaint filed by him, may, within thirty days from the expiry of such period or from the receipt of such decision, prefer an appeal to the Appellate Authority: Provided that the Appellate Authority may admit the appeal after the expiry of thirty days if it is satisfied that the complainant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
3. (3) The receipt of an appeal under sub-section
4. (2) shall be acknowledged by the Appellate Authority in writing or through electronic means or through text message or through any other means as may be prescribed, within three working days.
5. (4) Every appeal filed under sub-section
6. (2) or deemed appeal under sub-section
7. (1) shall be disposed of by Appellate Authority within the prescribed time frame.
8. (5) The Appellate Authority may, in deciding an appeal, impose penalty, as prescribed in sub-section
9. (1) of section 16, against the concerned officer for acting in a mala fide manner or having failed to discharge his duties without any sufficient and reasonable cause: Provided that the concerned officer of the public authority shall be given a reasonable opportunity of being heard before any penalty is imposed on him.
10. (6) The Appellate Authority shall upon adjudication of a complaint have the powers to issue directions requiring the concerned officers of the public authority to take such steps as may be necessary to render the services in compliance of the notification issued under section 4.