(1) The Government may, by notification appoint such persons as it thinks fit to be Inspectors for the purposes of this Act within such local limits as it may assign to them.
1 [(2) The Government may, by notification, appoint any person to be the Chief Inspector, Additional Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief Inspector, or Assistant Chief Inspector of Shops and Commercial Establishments, who shall, in addition to the powers conferred on them under this Act, exercise the powers of Inspector within their respective jurisdiction.]
(3) Subject to any rules made by the Government in this behalf, an Inspector may, within the local limits for which he is appointed,-
(a) enter at all reasonable times and with such assistants, if any, being persons in the service of Government or of any local authority, as he thinks fit, any place which is, or which he has reason to believe to be, an establishment;
(b) make such examination of the premises and of any prescribed registers, records and notices and take on the spot or otherwise evidence of any persons, as he may deem necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act; and
(c) exercise such other powers as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act:
Provided that no person shall be compelled under this section to answer any question or give any evidence tending to incriminate himself.
(4) Every Inspector 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).