[15A. Adjudicating officer.--(1) The Central Government, for the purposes of determining the penalties under sections 14 or 15, may appoint the District Magistrate having jurisdiction over the area or an officer not below the rank of Director to the Government of India or an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the State Government, to be the adjudicating officer, to hold an inquiry and impose penalty in the manner, as may be prescribed:
Provided that the Central Government may appoint as many adjudicating officers as may be required
(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 sub-section (1), sub-section (2), sub-section (2A) or sub-section (2C) of section 4 and section 12, he may determine such penalty as he thinks fit under the provisions of sections 14 and 15:
Provided that no such penalty shall be imposed without giving the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard.]