(1) The Commissioner shall have power at any stage—
(a) to transfer any proceeding pending before 1[a Joint or a Deputy or an Assistant Commissioner] to his own file and dispose of it himself, or
(b) to transfer it to another 2[Joint or Deputy or Assistant Commissioner] for disposal.
(2) If the Commissioner is satisfied that 1[a Joint or a Deputy or an Assistant Commissioner] has failed to exercise any power or discharge any duty which he ought to have exercised or discharged, the Commissioner may himself exercise such power or discharge such duty.
3[(3) * * * * *] Omitted.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, where the office of 1[a Joint or a Deputy or an Assistant Commissioner] is vacant, the Commissioner may, until the vacancy is filled—
(a) himself exercise the powers conferred and discharge the duties imposed by this Act or the rules made thereunder on the 2[Joint or Deputy or Assistant Commissioner] ; or
(b) authorize another 1[Joint or Deputy or Assistant Commissioner] to exercise the said powers and discharge the said duties.
1. Section 21-A as originally inserted by Tamil Nadu Act 42 of 1978 was subsequently omitted by section 10 of Tamil Nadu Act 41 of 1991 and reinserted by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Act, 1996 (Tamil Nadu Act 39 of 1996.)
1. Substituted for the words a “Deputy or an Assistant Commissioner” by Tamil Nadu Act 38 of 1995.
2. Substituted for the words a “Deputy or Assistant Commissioner” by Tamil Nadu Act 38 of 1995.
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(5) Any party aggrieved by an order of the Commissioner under subsection (1)(a), (2) [*] or (4) (a), not being an order against which a suit or an appeal to a Court is provided in this Act, may appeal to the Government within three months from the date of receipt of the order by him :
Provided that the Government shall not pass any order prejudicial to any party unless he has had a reasonable opportunity of making his representations.
CHAPTER – III RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS.
GENERAL PROVISIONS.