(1)The State Government may, by notification in the [Fort St. George Gazette,] [Now Tamil Nadu Government Gazette.] constitute for any area specified therein, a Rent Court which shall be presided over by an officer not below the rank of a Tahsildar for the purpose of performing the functions entrusted to a Rent Court by this Act.(2)In hearing an application under this Act, the Rent Court shall, so far as may be, have the same powers as are vested in, and follow the same procedure as is followed by, a Court of Small Causes hearing a suit or other proceeding under the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act, 1887 (Central Act IX of 1887), subject to the modification that the Rent Court shall have the power to depute any officer of the Revenue Department to make local enquiry and inspection and to collect data and the report and the records submitted by such officer may be read as evidence in the case.
