(1)

Any aggrieved person may file a complaint with the Authority for any violation under the Act or the rules and regulations made thereunder, save as those provided to be adjudicated by the adjudicating officer, in Form 'M', in triplicate, until the application procedure is made web based, which shall be accompanied by a fees of one thousand rupees in the form of a demand draft or a bankers cheque drawn on a scheduled bank in favour of Authority and payable at the branch of that bank at the station where the seat of the said Authority is situated or through online payment, as the case may be.

(2)

The Authority shall for the purposes of deciding any complaint as specified under sub-rule (1), follow summary procedure for inquiry in the following manner, namely:-

(a) upon receipt of the complaint, the Authority shall issue a notice along with particulars of the alleged contravention and the relevant documents to the respondent;

(b) the respondent against whom such notice is issued under clause (a) of sub-rule (2), may file his reply in respect of the complaint within the period as specified in the notice;

(c) the notice may specify a date and time for further hearing and the date and time for the hearing shall also be communicated to the complainant;

(d) on the date so fixed, the Authority shall explain to the respondent about the contravention alleged to have been committed in relation to any of the provisions of the Act or the rules and regulations made thereunder and if the respondent,-

(e) incase the Authority is satisfied on the basis of the submissions made that the complaint does not require any further inquiry it may dismiss the complaint;

(f) in case the Authority is satisfied on the basis of the submissions made that there is need for further hearing into the complaint it may order production of documents or other evidence on a date and time fixed by it;

(g) the Authority shall have the power to carry out an inquiry into the complaint on the basis of documents and submissions;

(h) the Authority shall have the power to summon and enforce the attendance of any person acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case to give evidence or to produce any documents which in the opinion of the adjudicating officer, may be useful for or relevant to the subject matter of the inquiry, and in taking such evidence, the Authority shall not be bound to observe the provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (11 of 1872);

(i) on the date so fixed, the Authority upon consideration of the evidence produced before it and other records and submissions is satisfied that,-

(j) if any person fails, neglects or refuses to appear, or present himself as required before the Authority, the Authority shall have the power to proceed with the inquiry in the absence of such person or persons after recording the reasons for doing so.

(3)

The procedure for day to day functioning of the Authority, which have not been provided by the Act or the rules made thereunder, shall be as specified by regulations made by the Authority.

(4)

Where a party to the complaint is represented by an authorized person, as provided under section 56, a copy of the authorization to act as such and the written consent thereto by such authorized person, both in original, shall be appended to the complaint or the reply to the notice of the complaint, as the case may be.