Section 26 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006
- (1)For the purposes of provisions of section 25, the Board shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), appoint by general or special order, an officer of the Board as an Investigating Officer for holding an investigation in the manner provided by regulations: Provided that where the Board considers it necessary that the matter should be investigated by any investigating agency of the State or Central Government including the special police force constituted under section 2 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (25 of 1946), the Board may request the concerned Government for directing or authorising such agency to investigate and the agency so directed or authorised shall, then, be competent to exercise the powers and to discharge the duties of an Investigating Officer under this Act.
- (2)No person shall be appointed as an Investigating Officer unless he possesses such qualifications and experience as may be determined by the Board by regulations.
- (3)Where more than one Investigating Officer is appointed, the Board shall specify, by order, the matters and the local limits of jurisdiction with respect to which each such officer shall exercise his jurisdiction.
Summary
- To handle complaints, the Board can appoint its own officers as Investigating Officers.
- These appointed officers must possess specific qualifications and experience determined by the Board's regulations.
- The Board can also ask outside state or central government agencies, including the Delhi Special Police Establishment, to conduct the investigation.
- When an outside agency is authorized, it gets the exact same powers and duties as the Board's own Investigating Officers.
- If the Board appoints multiple Investigating Officers, it must clearly issue orders defining the specific matters and geographic limits each officer covers.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Who normally investigates complaints for the Board?
The Board appoints its own officers who have the required qualifications and experience.
2. Can the police or other government agencies investigate these matters?
Yes, the Board can request state or central government investigating agencies to step in and investigate.
3. What happens if there are several investigators working at the same time?
The Board will issue a specific order outlining the exact topics and local geographical boundaries for each officer to avoid confusion.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 26 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, the Board appoints an Investigating Officer for the purposes of Section 25. What is a primary action taken under Section 25 once this officer completes their task?
Q2.Under Section 26 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, which external agency is specifically mentioned as one the Board can request to investigate a matter?
Q3.Under Section 26 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, what must the Board do if it appoints more than one Investigating Officer?
Q4.Under Section 26 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, the Board can appoint an officer to investigate. According to Section 2 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, the definition of the "Board" refers to which specific body?