(1) Every principal employer of an establishment to which this Act applies shall, within such period as the appropriate Government may, by notification in the 5 Official Gazette, fix in this behalf with respect to establishments generally or with respect to any class of them, make an application to the registering officer, in such form and manner and on payment of such fees as may be prescribed, for the registration of the establishment:
Provided that the registering officer may entertain any such application for registration after the expiry of the period fixed in that behalf, if the registering officer is satisfied that the applicant was prevented by sufficient cause from making the application in time.
(2) Within one month after the receipt of an application for registration under sub-section (1), the registering officer shall,—
(a) if the application is complete in all respects, register the establishment and issue to the principal employer of the establishment a certificate of registration in the prescribed form; and
(b) if the application is not so complete, return the application to the principal employer of the establishment.
(3) Where within a period of one month after the receipt of an application for registration of an establishment under sub-section (1), the registering officer does not grant under clause (a) of sub-section (2) the certificate of registration applied for and does not return the application under clause (b) of that sub-section, the registering officer shall, within fifteen days of the receipt of an application in this behalf, from the principal employer, register the establishment and issue to the principal employer a certificate of registration in the prescribed form.