CHAPTER VI
INSPECTING STAFF
20. Inspectors.
(1) The appropriate Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such persons as it thinks fit to be inspectors for the purposes of this Act, and define the local limits within which they shall exercise their powers under this Act.
(2) Subject to any rules made in this behalf, within the local limits for which he is appointed, an inspector may—
(a) if he has reason to believe that any inter-State migrant workmen are employed in any premises or place, enter, at all reasonable hours, with such assistants (if any), being persons in the service of the Government or any local or other public authority as he thinks fit, such premises or place for the purpose of—
(i) satisfying himself whether the provisions of this Act in relation to the payment of wages, conditions of service, or facilities to be provided to such workmen are being complied with;
(ii) examining any register or record or notices required to be kept or exhibited by the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder, and requiring the production thereof for inspection;
(b) examine any person found in any such premises or place for the purpose of determining whether such person is an inter-State migrant workman;
(c) require any person giving out work to any workman, to give any information, which is in his power to give, with respect to the names and addresses of the persons to, for and from whom the work is given out or received, and with respect to the payments to be made for the work;
(d) seize or take copies of such register, record of wages, or notices or portions thereof as he may consider relevant in respect of an offence under this Act which he has reason to believe has been committed by a principal employer or contractor, and
(e) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) and (2), if a State Government considers it necessary for the purpose of satisfying itself that the provisions of this Act are being complied with in respect of any workmen belonging to that State and employed in an establishment situated in another State, it may, by order in writing, appoint such persons, being persons in the service of that Government, for the exercise of such of the powers mentioned in sub-section (2), as may be specified in that order:
Provided that no such order shall be issued without the concurrence of the Government of the State in which such workmen are employed or where the establishment is an establishment referred to in sub-clause (i) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 2, without the concurrence of the Central Government.
(4) Any person required to produce any document or thing, or to give any information required, by an inspector under sub-section (2), or by a person appointed under sub-section (3), shall be deemed to be legally bound to do so within the meaning of section 175 and section 176 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(5) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), shall, so far as may be, apply to any search or seizure under this section as they apply to any search or seizure made under the authority of a warrant issued under section 94 of the said Code.
