(1) Whoever, for the purpose of avoiding any payment to be made by himself under this Act or under the scheme or of enabling any other person to avoid such payment knowingly makes or causes to be made any false statement or false representation, 41[shall be liable to penalty of double the amount due by him under this Act.]
(2) Whoever contravenes or makes default in complying with any of the provisions of this Act or of the scheme shall, if no other penalty is elsewhere provided by or under this Act for such contravention or non-compliance, 42[be liable to penalty of twenty five thousand rupees.]
(3) 43[XXX]
(4) 44[XXX] 45[17A. Opportunity before imposing penalty.— Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, for imposing penalty under section 17, an officer equivalent to the rank of the Coir Project Officer in the Industries/Coir Department may be designated by the Government, by notification in the Gazette, who shall before taking steps to impose penalty, give an opportunity to the person concerned, to comply with the aforesaid relevant provisions by written direction laying down a time period not exceeding ninety days for such compliance and if the person complies with the direction within the said period, then, no such proceedings shall be initiated against him.