Registration of wholesale traders

(1) The Chief Administrative Officer of every market committee shall maintain a register for every specified commodity for registering the wholesale traders, in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed. (2) As soon as may be, after any area is declared to be a market area for any specified commodity, the Chief Administrative Officer shall issue a notice in such form and publish it in such manner as may be prescribed, inviting all the wholesale traders actively engaged in the wholesale trade of such specified commodity in the local area, to apply in writing to him for registering themselves with the market committee. Such applications shall be invited within such period as may be prescribed, calling upon the applicants to adduce evidence that the applicants have been actively engaged in the wholesale trade of such specified commodity in the local area immediately before the date of publication of the notification under sub-section (1) of section 4. (3) Every person other than the persons referred to in sub-section (2) intending to carry on the wholesale trade of such specified commodity in any market area shall also apply to the Chief Administrative Officer for registering his name with the market committee. (4) The application for such registration shall be made in such form and shall be accompanied by such fees and documents as may be prescribed. (5) The Chief Administrative Officer shall consider all applications received by him and if he is satisfied on making such further inquiry, if any, as he may deem fit that an applicant was actively engaged in, or intending to carry on, the wholesale trade, he shall include his name in the register maintained by him under sub-section (1) and inform the applicant accordingly. Every such registered wholesale trader shall be eligible to get a licence as provided in section 21. (6) If the Chief Administrative Officer refuses to register the name of any person who has applied for the same, he shall communicate his decision in writing with reasons therefor to such person: Provided that no order under this sub-section shall be passed unless the person concerned is given a reasonable opportunity of being heard. (7) If the Chief Administrative Officer, on application made to him or information received by him or on his own motion, is satisfied after such inquiry as he deems fit, that any entry in the register is erroneous or defective in any particular or should be omitted on the ground that the person concerned has ceased to carry on the wholesale trade in such specified commodity, he may, after giving the person a reasonable opportunity of being heard, amend or omit the entry in the register. (8) Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Chief Administrative Officer in regard to the refusal of registration or amendment or omission of any entry of his name in the register, may make an appeal in writing to the local authority within such period as may be prescribed. (9) The decision of the Chief Administrative Officer in regard to such registration, and where an appeal is made against such decision, the decision of the local authority, shall be final.