Section 24A: Adjudication

(1) The Central Government, for the purposes of determining the penalties under section 24, shall authorise the District Magistrate or the Additional District Magistrate, having jurisdiction, to be the adjudicating officer, to hold an inquiry and impose penalty in the manner, as may be prescribed.

(2) The adjudicating officer may summon and enforce the attendance of any person acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case to give evidence or to 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 concerned has failed to comply with the provisions of this Act, he may impose such penalty as he thinks fit in accordance with the provisions of section 24:

Provided that no such penalty shall be imposed without giving the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard.]