(1) An appeal against any refusal under section 7 to issue any Appeal certificate shall lie— against refusal to issue (a) to the. District Magistrate, or the Additional District certificate.
Magistrate authorised by the District Magistrate in this behalf, where the certificate is refused by the Sub-divisional Officer, and
(b) to the Commissioner, Presidency Division, where the certificate is refused by the District Magistrate, South 24-Parganas, or the Additional District Magistrate, South 24-Parganas, authorised by the District Magistrate, South 24-Parganas, under clause (b) of section 5, as the case may be:
Provided that every such appeal shall be made in such manner and within such time as may be prescribed:
Provided further that every such appeal shall be disposed of within three months from the date on which the appeal is made:
Provided also that no such appeal shall be disposed of without giving the appellant a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
(2) The decision of the District Magistrate or the Additional District Magistrate or the Commissioner, Presidency Division, as the case may be on any appeal under sub-section (1) shall be final.
9. If the certificate issuing authority is satisfied that a certificate Power to under this Act has been obtained by any person by g furnishin an cancel, y impound or false information or by misrepresenting any fact or by suppressing any revoke ' material information or by producing any document which is an act certificate.
of forgery, it may cancel, impound or revoke such certificate in such manner as may be prescribed.
381 The West Bengal Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Identification) Act, 1994.
[West Ben. Act XXXVIII of 1994.]
(Sections 10-12.)
Offences and 10. Whoever— penalties.
(a) knowingly furnishes any false information, or
(b) knowingly misrepresents any fact, or
(c) knowingly suppresses any material information, or
(d) knowingly produces any document which is an act of forgery, with a view to obtaining a certificate under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees or with both.
Validation 11. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, any certificate of certificate. identifying any person to be a member of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes, issued by any authority, competent under any law for the time being in force to issue such certificate, prior to the commencement of this Act, shall be valid and shall be deemed to have been issued under this Act unless such certificate is proved to have been obtained by furnishing any false information or by misrepresenting any fact or by suppressing any material information or by producing any document which is an act of forgery, and in every such case, the certificate issuing authority shall have the power to cancel, impound or revoke such certificate in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.
Power to make rule.