(1) Allowances payable to witnesses summoned or any enquiry or other proceeding under the Act shall vary according to the status and circumstances of witnesses who shall be classed as follows:
18 Class (I) will generally include Large land-holders, professional men of high position, big businessmen and persons of like status.
Class (II) will generally include small land-holders, ordinary professional men, clerks, artisians, small businessmen and persons of like status.
Class (III) will generally include small cultivators, labourers and persons of like status.
1[(2) Local witnesses of all classes shall be paid second class railway fare or bus fare, as the case may be, towards conveyance charges.
(3) Witnesses coming from outside the local area shall be paid subsistence allowance at the rate of rupees ten, rupees eight and rupees six per diem for Class I, Class II and Class III witnesses, respectively. The travelling allowance for all classes of witnesses shall be the second class fare, if the journey is by rail and actual bus expenses, if the journey is by road. If the journey is by steamer, the travelling allowance shall be as follows :
(i) For Class I …. Passage by higher class if there are two classes, by the middle class, if there are three classes.
(ii) For Class II: …. Passage by middle class, if there are three classes, by lower class if there are three classes.
(iii) For Class III …. Lowest class.
(4) The Officer holding the inquiry or other proceeding may, however, for reasons recorded in writing, sanction in the case of any witness, allowances at such higher rates, as he may deem fit.
(5) The Officer may, in the case of any person summoned to give evidence as an expert, allow in addition reasonable remuneration for the time occupied both in giving evidence and in performing any work of an expert character necessary for the enquiry or other proceedings.