(1) The State Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute an authority to be known as nodal authority consisting of such members, as may be specified by it for entertaining complaints with regard to the violations of the provisions of this Act or any direction or notification issued thereunder:
Provided that the State Government may, by notification, fix the terms and conditions of appointment, qualifications and conditions of service of the members of the nodal authority.
(2) The State Government or the nodal authority, as the case may be, may also take suo motu notice of the violations of the provisions of this Act or any direction or notification issued thereunder.
(3) The State Government or the nodal authority, as the case may be, may cause an enquiry to be made by appointing an Inquiry Officer into the allegations levelled by the complainant or at its suo motu initiative, and take the following actions, namely: -
(a) file the complaint, if in its opinion, it is a vexatious, anonymous or pseudonymous complaint; or
(b) direct the complainant to furnish additional information or an affidavit in support of his allegations; or
(c) take such actions, as it may deem appropriate, keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case.
(4) For making an enquiry under sub-section (3), a summary procedure shall be followed and the enquiry shall be completed within a period of sixty days.
(5) The nodal authority constituted under sub-section (1) or the Inquiry Officer, appointed under sub-section (3), shall have the powers of a civil court to access, obtain and scrutinize the records 1 Substituted by Punjab Act No.24 of 2006, Section 6 Mechanism for dealing with violations.
of the private health sciences educational institutions as well as summoning of any person or any relevant official record, which he may deem necessary. The nodal authority shall forward its report to the State Government and may recommend any of the actions as mentioned in sub-section (1) of Section 9 of this Act.]
9. 1[(1) The State Government may, suo motu or on the report of the nodal authority, if satisfied that a private health sciences educational institution has violated any of the provisions of this Act or any direction or notification issued thereunder, it may take any or all of the following actions, namely: -
(a) direct the private health sciences educational institution to redress the grievance of the concerned party;
(b) cause the withdrawal of affiliation or recognition of such private health sciences educational institution from the concerned university or council or any other authority or body to which such private health sciences educational institution is affiliated, to be made;
(c) impose fine on such private health sciences educational institution, and such a fine shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue;
(d) direct the private health sciences educational institution to cancel the admission or direct the concerned university or council to cancel the registration of the student, who has been admitted to private health sciences educational institution in violation of the provisions of this Act or any direction or notification issued thereunder; or
(e) direct the private health sciences educational institution to admit any student to whom admission has been wrongly denied.]
(2) Before taking any action under sub-section (1), a reasonable opportunity of being heard shall be provided to such institution by the State Government.
1 Substituted by Punjab Act No.24 of 2006, Section 7 Penalties
10. The State Government may, from time to time, issue to the private health sciences educational institutions such directions, as in its opinion, are necessary or expedient for carrying out the purposes of this Act and the notifications issued thereunder and such institutions shall comply with the directions so issued.