(1)

The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint for the State a duly qualified person to be the Chief Inspector of Plantations and so many duly qualified persons to be Inspectors of Plantations subordinate to the Chief Inspector as it thinks fit.

[(1-A) The State Government may also, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such officers of the State Government or of any local authority under its control, as it thinks fit, to be additional Inspectors of Plantations for all or any of the purposes of this Act.]

(2)

Subject to such rules as may be made in this behalf by the State Government, the Chief Inspector may declare the local area or areas within which, or the plantations with respect to which, Inspectors shall exercise their powers under this Act, and may himself exercise the powers of an Inspector within such limits as may be assigned to him by the State Government.

(3)

The Chief Inspector and all Inspectors shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).