Section 12 in Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008
12. Appointment of Authorized Officers and their Powers.
(1)The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint such officers of the Revenue Department not below the rank of Revenue Divisional Officer as authorized officers and may determine the area of jurisdiction within which they shall exercise their powers under this Act.(2)The Authorized Officer may, for the purpose of inspecting whether any of the provisions of this Act have been violated, or to prevent the commission of any of the offences under this Act-(a)enter any premises or any place connected therewith with such preparation as he thinks necessary for the inspection or investigation into the alleged offence under this Act;(b)require any person to stop any act in contravention of section 3 or section 11 ;(c)[ seize any vessel, vehicle or other conveyance or any implements used or purported to be used in contravention of the provisions of this Act or seize any clay, sand, earth etc. used for filling up or removed from the paddy land or wetland in contravention of the provisions of this Act and send a report to the Collector for initiating proceedings for their confiscation;] [Substituted by Act No. 41 of 2017, dated 30.12.2017](d)require any person to furnish such information as he may consider necessary;(e)take photographs, make inventories or do other things necessary for collecting evidence regarding the commission of the offence and send a report to the Court of competent jurisdiction in order to prosecute the accused.(3)Any person required to produce any document or thing or to give any information to an authorised officer under this section shall be legally bound to do so within the meaning of section 175 and 176 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Central Act 45 of 1860).(4)Every authorised officer appointed under this section shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (Central Act 45 of 1860).(5)If an officer authorised under sub-section (1), fails to take action on the basis of the report regarding the violation of the Act submitted by the reporting officer under section 7, he deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 23.
