305. Powers of entry.—It shall be lawful for the President or the Vice-President of a Board, or the
Chief Executive Officer, or the Health Officer or any person specially authorised by the Chief Executive
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Officer, or the Health Officer or for any other person authorised by general or special order of a Board in
this behalf, to enter into or upon any building or land with or without assistants or workmen in order to
make any inquiry, inspection, measurement, valuation or survey, or to execute any work, which is
authorised by or under this Act or which it is necessary to make or execute for any of the purposes or in
pursuance of any of the provisions of this Act or of any rule, bye-law or order made thereunder:
Provided that nothing in this section shall be deemed to confer upon any person any power such as is
referred to in section 274 or section 283 or to authorise the conferment upon any person of any such
power.
306. Power of inspection by member of a Board.—A Board may by special order authorise or order
any member to inspect any work or institution constructed or maintained, in whole or part, at the expense
of the Board, and any register, book accounts or other documents belonging to, or in the possession of,
the Board.
307. Power of inspection, etc.—(1) A Board or the Chief Executive Officer may, by general or
special order, authorise any person—
(a) to inspect any drain, privy, latrine, urinal, cesspool, pipe, sewer or channel in or on any
building or land in the cantonment, and, in his discretion, to cause, the ground to be opened for the
purpose of preventing or removing any nuisance arising from the drain, privy, latrine, urinal,
cesspool, pipe, sewer or channel, as the case may be;
(b) to examine works under construction in the cantonment, to take levels or to remove, test,
examine, replace or read any meter.
(2) If, on such inspection, the opening of the ground is found to be necessary for the prevention or
removal of a nuisance, the expenses thereby incurred shall be paid by the owner or occupier of the land or
building, but if it is found that no nuisance exists or but for such opening would have arisen, the ground
or portion of any building, drain or other work opened, injured or removed for the purpose of such
inspection shall be filled in, reinstated, or made good, as the case may be by the Board or the Chief
Executive Officer.
308. Power to enter land, adjoining land where work is in progress.—(1) The Chief Executive
Officer of a cantonment may, with or without assistants or workmen, enter on any land within fifty yards
of any work authorised by or under this Act for the purpose of depositing thereon any soil, gravel, stone
or other materials, or of obtaining access to such work, or for any other purpose connected with the
carrying on of the same.
(2) The Chief Executive Officer shall, before entering on any land under sub-section (1), give the
occupier, or, if there is no occupier, the owner not less than three day's previous notice in writing of his
intention to make such entry, and shall state the purpose thereof, and shall, if so required by the occupier
or owner, fence off so much of the land as may be required for such purpose.
(3) The Chief Executive Officer shall, in exercising any power conferred by this section, do as little
damage as may be, and compensation shall be payable by the Board to the owner or occupier of such
land, or to both, for any such damage whether permanent or temporary.
309. Breaking into premises.—It shall be lawful for any person, authorised by or under this Act to
make any entry into any place, to open or cause to be opened any door, gate or other barrier—
(a) if he considers the opening thereof necessary for the purpose of such entry; and
(b) if the owner or occupier is absent, or being present refuses to open such door, gate or barrier.
310. Entry to be made in the day time.—Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, no entry
authorised by or under this Act shall be made except between the hours of sunrise and sunset.
311. Owner's consent ordinarily to be obtained.—Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act,
no building or land shall be entered without the consent of the occupier, or if there is no occupier of the
owner thereof, and no such entry shall be made without giving the said occupier or owner, as the case
may be, not less than four hours, written notice of the intention to make such entry:
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Provided that no such notice shall be necessary if the place to be inspected is a factory or workshop or
trade premises or a place used for carrying on any trade, calling or occupation specified in section 277 or
a stable for horses or a shed for cattle or a latrine, privy or urinal or a work under construction, or for the
purpose of ascertaining whether any animal intended for human food is slaughtered in that place in
contravention of this Act or any bye-law made thereunder.
312. Regard to be had to social and religious usages.—When any place used as a human dwelling
is entered under this Act, due regard shall be paid to the social and religious customs and usages of the
occupants of the place entered, and no apartment in the actual occupancy of a female shall be entered or
broken open until she has been informed that she is at liberty to withdraw and every reasonable facility
has been afforded to her for withdrawing.
313. Penalty for obstruction.—Whoever obstructs or molests any person acting on behalf of the
Board, who is not a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860)
or any person with whom the Board has lawfully contracted, in the execution of his duty or of anything
which he is empowered or required to do by virtue or in consequence of any of the provisions of this Act
or any rule, bye-law or order made thereunder, or in fulfilment of his contract, as the case may be, shall be
punishable with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees.
Powers and duties of police officers
314. Arrest without warrant.—Any member of the police force employed in a cantonment may,
without a warrant, arrest any person committing in his view a breach of any of the provisions of this Act
which are specified in Schedule IV:
Provided that—
(a) 1*** no person shall be so arrested who consents to give his name and address, unless there is
reasonable ground for doubting the accuracy of the name or address so given, the burden of proof of
which shall lie on the arresting officer, and no person so arrested shall be detained after his name and
address have been ascertained; and
(b) no person shall be so arrested for an offence under section 300 except—
(i) at the request of the person importuned, or of a military officer in whose presence the
offence was committed; or
(ii) by or at the request of a member of the Military, Naval or Air Force Police, who is
employed in the cantonment and authorised in this behalf by the Officer Commanding the
Station, and in whose presence the offence was committed or by or at the request of any police
officer not below the rank of assistant sub-inspector who is deployed in the cantonment and
authorised in this behalf by the Officer Commanding the station.
315. Duties of police officers.—It shall be the duty of all police officers to give immediate
information to the Board of the commission of, or attempt to commit any offence against the provisions
of this Act or of any rule or bye-law made thereunder, and to assist all cantonment officers and employees
in the exercise of their lawful authority.
Notices
316. Notices to fix reasonable time.—Where any notice, order or requisition made under this Act or
any other rule or bye-law made thereunder requires anything to be done for the doing of which no time is
fixed in this Act or in the rule or bye-law, the notice, order or requisition shall specify a reasonable time
for doing the same.
317. Authentication and validity of notices issued by Board.—(1) Every notice, order or
requisition issued by a Board under this Act or any rule or bye law made thereunder shall be signed—
1. Certain words omitted by Act 18 of 2023, s. 2 and Schedule (w.e.f. 2-11-2023).
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(a) either by the President of the Board or by the Chief Executive Officer; or
(b) by the members of any committee especially authorised by the Board in this behalf.
(2) Whenever under this Act or any rule or bye-law made thereunder the doing of, or the omission to
do, anything or the validity of anything depends upon the approval, sanction, consent, concurrence,
declaration, opinion or satisfaction of the Board, a written document signed by any officer or member
specified in sub-section (1) purporting to convey or set-forth such approval, sanction, consent,
concurrence, declaration, opinion or satisfaction shall be sufficient evidence thereof.
(3) Every license, written permission, notice, bill summons or other document which is required by
this Act or any rule or bye-law made thereunder to bear the signature of the President, Vice-President or
the Chief Executive Officer, or of any such member of any committee as has been specially authorised by
the Board in this behalf shall be deemed to be properly signed if it bears facsimile of the signature of any
such officer or member, as the case may be, stamped thereon.
318. Service of notice, etc.—(1) Every notice, order or requisition issued under this Act or any rule
or bye-law made thereunder shall, save as otherwise expressely provided, be served or presented—
(a) by giving or tendering the notice, order or requisition, or sending it by post, to the person for
whom it is intended; or
(b) if such person cannot be found, by affixing the notice order or requisition on some
conspicuous part of his last known place of abode or business, if within the cantonment, or by giving
or tendering the notice, order or requisition to some adult member or servant or his family, or by
causing it to be affixed on some conspicuous part of the buildings or land, if any, to which it relates.
(2) When any such notice, order or requisition is required or permitted to be served upon an owner,
lessee or occupier of any building or land, it shall not be necessary to name the owner, lessee or occupier
therein, and the service thereof shall, save as otherwise expressly provided, be effected either—
(a) by giving or tendering the notice, order or requisition, or sending it by post, to the owner,
lessee or occupier, or, if there are more owners, lessees, or occupiers than one to any one of them; or
(b) if no such owner, lessee or occupier can be found, by giving or tendering the notice, order or
requisition to the authorised agent, if any, of any such owner, lessee or occupier, or to an adult
member or servant of the family of any such owner, lessee, occupier, or by causing it to be affixed on
some conspicuous part of the building or land to which it relates.
(3) When the person on whom a notice, order or requisition is to be served is a minor, service upon
his guardian or upon an adult member or servant of his family shall be deemed to be service upon the
minor.
319. Method of giving notice.—Every notice which, by or under this Act, is to be given or served as
a public notice or as a notice which is not required to be given to any individual therein specified shall,
save as otherwise expressly provided, be deemed to have been sufficiently given or served if a copy
thereof is affixed in such conspicuous part of the office of the Board or in such other public place during
such period, or is published in such local newspaper or in such other manner, as the Board may direct.
320. Powers of Board in case of non-compliance with notice, etc.—In the event of non-compliance
with the terms of any notice, order or requisition issued to any person under this Act or any rule or
bye-law made thereunder, requiring such person to execute any work or to do any act, it shall be lawful
for the Board, or the civil area committee or the Chief Executive Officer at whose instance the notice,
order or requisition has been issued whether or not the person in default is liable to punishment for such
default or has been prosecuted or sentenced to any punishment therefor, after giving notice in writing to
such person, to take such action or such steps as may be necessary for the completion of the act or work
required to be done or executed by him, and all the expenses incurred on such account shall be
recoverable by the Chief Executive Officer on demand, and if not paid within ten days after such demand,
shall be recoverable in the same manner as moneys recoverable by the Board under section 324:
Provided that where the action or step relates to the demolition of any erection or re-erection under
section 248 or the removal of any projection or encroachment under section 252, the Board or the civil
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area committee or the Chief Executive Officer may request any police officer to render such assistance as
considered necessary for the lawful exercise of any power in this regard and it shall be the duty of such
police officer to render forthwith such assistance on such requisition.
321. Occupier not to obstruct owner when complying with notice.—If the owner of any property
in respect of which a notice as is referred to in section 320 has been given is prevented by the occupier
from complying with such notice, the Board or civil area committee or the Chief Executive Officer at
whose instance such notice has been given, may, by order, require the said occupier to permit the owner
within eight days from the date of service of such notice to take all such actions as may be necessary to
comply with the said notice and such owner shall, for the period during which he is prevented as
aforesaid, be exempt from any fine or penalty to which he might otherwise have become liable by reason
of non-compliance with such notice.
Recovery of Money
322. Liability of occupier to pay in default of owner.—(1) If any such notice as is referred to in
section 320 has been given to any person in respect of property of which he is the owner, and he fails to
comply with the notice so given, the Board or the civil area committee or the Chief Executive Officer at
whose instance such notice has been issued may require any occupier of such property or of any part
thereof to pay to it or him instead of to the owner any rent payable by him in respect of such property, as
it falls due, up to the amount recoverable from the owner under section 320:
Provided that if the occupier, on application made to him by the Board or the civil area committee or
the Chief Executive Officer at whose instance such notice has been issued, refuses to truly disclose the
amount of his rent or the name or address of the person to whom it is payable, the Chief Executive Officer
may recover from the occupier the whole amount recoverable under section 320 in the same manner as
money is recoverable by the Board under section 324.
(2) Any amount recovered from an occupier instead of from an owner under sub-section (1) shall, in
the absence of any contract between the owner and the occupier to the contrary, be deemed to have been
paid to the owner.
323. Relief to Agents and Trustees.—(1) Where any person, by reason of his receiving the rent of
immovable property as an agent or trustee, or of his being as an agent or trustee the person who would
receive the rent if the property were let to a tenant, would under this Act be bound to discharge any
obligation imposed on the owner of the property for the discharge of which money is required, he shall
not be bound to discharge the obligation unless he has or but for his own improper act or default might
have had funds in his hands belonging to the owner sufficient for the purpose.
(2) The burden of proving any fact entitling an agent or trustee to relief under sub-section (1) shall lie
upon him.
(3) Where any agent or trustee has claimed and established his right to relief under this section, the
Board may, by notice in writing, require him to apply to the discharge of such obligation as aforesaid the
first monies which may come to his hands on behalf, or for the use, of the owner and on failure to comply
with the notice, he shall be deemed to be personally liable to discharge the obligation.
324. Method of recovery.—(1) Notwithstanding anything elsewhere contained in this Act arrears of
any tax, and any other money recoverable, including rent on land and buildings due or damages and fine
due under leases or licences executed by or in favour of a Board or the Defence Estates Officer under this
Act or the rules made thereunder may be recovered together with the cost of recovery either by suit or on
application to a Judicial Magistrate having jurisdiction in the cantonment or in any place where the person
from whom such tax, rent or money is recoverable may for the time being be residing, either by the
distress and sale of movable property of such person, or by the attachment and sale of immovable
property of that person, which is within the limits of the jurisdiction of such Judicial Magistrate, or by
both these methods, and shall, if payable by the owner of any property as such, be a charge on the
property until paid :
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Provided that the tools of artisans, growing crops up to the value of five thousand rupees and
implements and cattle used for the purposes of agriculture shall be exempt from such distress or sale.
(2) An application to a Judicial Magistrate under sub-section (1) shall be in writing and shall be
signed by the President or Vice-President of the Board or by the Chief Executive Officer or the Defence
Estates Officer or the Officer Commanding the Station or any other officer authorised by any of these
officers, but shall not require to be personally presented.
(3) Upon receiving the application, the Judicial Magistrate referred to in sub-section (1) may take
action for the recovery of the amount of tax, rent or money from the person specified in the application as
if such amount were a fine recoverable under a sentence passed by him and the provisions of
sections 421 and 422 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), shall, so far as may be, apply
to the recovery of such amount:
Provided that the recovery of no such amount shall be made by the arrest or detention in prison of the
said person.
Committees of Arbitration
325. Application for a Committee of Arbitration.—In the event of any disagreement as to the
liability of a Board to pay any compensation under this Act, or as to the amount of any compensation so
payable, the person claiming such compensation may apply to the Board shall for the reference of the
matter to a Committee of Arbitration, and the Board shall forthwith proceed to convene a Committee of
Arbitration to determine the matter in dispute.
326. Procedure for convening Committee of Arbitration.—When a Committee of Arbitration is to
be convened, the Board shall cause a public notice to be published stating the matter to be determined,
and shall forthwith send copies of the order to the District Magistrate, and to the other party concerned,
and shall, as soon as may be, nominate such members of the Committee as it is entitled to nominate under
section 327, and by notice in writing call upon the other persons who are entitled to nominate a member
or members of the Committee to nominate such member or members in accordance with provisions of
that section.
327. Constitution of the Committee of Arbitration.—(1) Every Committee of Arbitration shall
consist of five members, namely:—
(a) a Chairman who shall be a person not in the service of the Government or the Board, and who
shall be nominated by the Officer Commanding the Station;
(b) two persons nominated by the Board;
(c) two persons nominated by the other party concerned.
(2) If the Board or the other party concerned or the Officer Commanding the Station fails within
seven days of the date of issue of the notice referred to in section 326 to make any nomination which it or
he is entitled to make or if any member who has been so nominated neglects or refuses to act and the
Board or other person by whom such member was nominated fails to nominate another member in his
place within seven days from the date on which it or he may be called upon to do so by the District
Magistrate, the District Magistrate shall forthwith appoint a member or members, as the case may be, to
fill the vacancy or vacancies.
328. No person to be nominated who has direct interest or whose services are not immediately
available.—(1) No person who has a direct interest in the matter under reference, or whose services are
not immediately available for the purposes of the Committee shall be nominated a member of the
Committee of Arbitration.
(2) If, in the opinion of the District Magistrate any person who has been nominated has a direct
interest in the matter under reference or is otherwise disqualified for nomination or if the services of any
such person are not immediately available as aforesaid and if the Board or the other person by whom any
such person was nominated fails to nominate another member within seven days from the date on which it
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or he may be called upon to do so by the District Magistrate, such failure shall be deemed to constitute a
failure to make a nomination within the meaning of section 327.
329. Meetings and powers of Committee of Arbitration.—(1) When a Committee of Arbitration
has been duly constituted, the Board shall, by notice in writing inform each of the members of the fact,
and the Committee shall meet as soon as may be thereafter.
(2) The Chairman of the Committee shall fix the time and place of the meetings and shall have power
to adjourn any meeting from time to time as may be necessary.
(3) The Committee shall receive and record evidence, and shall have power to administer oaths to
witnesses, and on requisition in writing signed by the Chairman of the Committee, the District Magistrate
shall issue the necessary processes for the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents
required by the Committee and may, enforce the said processes as if they were processes for attendance or
production before himself.
330. Decisions of Committee of Arbitration.—(1) The decisions of every Committee of Arbitration
shall be in accordance with the majority of votes taken at a meeting at which the Chairman and at least
three of the other members are present.
(2) If there is not a majority of votes in favour of any proposed decision, the opinion of the Chairman
shall prevail.
(3) The decision of a Committee of Arbitration shall be final and shall not be questioned in any court.
Prosecutions
331. Prosecutions.—Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, no court shall proceed to the
trial of any offence made punishable by or under this Act, other than an offence specified in Schedule IV,
except on the complaint of or upon information received from the Board concerned or a person authorised
by the Board by a general or special order in this behalf.
332. Composition of offence.—(1)The Chief Executive Officer or any person authorised by him, by
general or special order in this behalf, may, before or after the institution of the proceedings, compound
an offence, made punishable by or under this Act other than an offence under Chapter XIV:
Provided that no offence shall be compoundable which is committed by failure to comply with a
notice, order or requisition issued by or on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, unless and until the
same has been complied with in so far as compliance is possible.
(2)Where an offence has been compounded, the offender, if in custody, shall be discharged and no
further proceedings shall be taken against him in respect of the offence so compounded.
General Penalty Provisions
333. General penalty.—Whoever, in any case in which a penalty is not expressly provided by this
Act, fails to comply with any notice, order or requisition issued under any provision thereof, or otherwise
contravenes any of the provisions of this Act, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five
thousand rupees, and, in the case of a continuing failure or contravention, with an additional fine which
may extend to five hundred rupees for everyday after the first during which he has persisted in the failure
or contravention.
334. Offences by companies.—(1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a
company, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was
responsible to the company for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall
be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished
accordingly:
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any
punishment, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all
due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been
committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or
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connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other
officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall be deemed to be guilty of
that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against punished accordingly.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—
(a) “company” means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of
individuals; and
(b) “director”, in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.
335. Cancellation or suspension of licences, etc.—Where any person to whom a licence or written
permission has been granted under this Act or any agent or servant of such person commits a breach of
any of the conditions thereof, or of any bye-law made under this Act for the purpose of regulating the
manner or circumstances in, or the conditions subject to, which anything permitted by such licence or
written permission is to be or may be done, or where the Board or the civil area committee, as the case
may be, is satisfied that such licence or written permission has been secured by the holder through
misrepresentation or fraud, the Board or the civil area committee, as the case may be, may, without
prejudice to any other penalty which may have been incurred under this Act, by order in writing, cancel
the licence or written permission or suspend it for such period as it thinks fit:
Provided that no such order shall be made unless an opportunity has been given to the holder of the
licence or written permission to show cause why it should not be made.
336. Recovery of amount payable in respect of damage to cantonment property.—Where any
person has incurred a penalty by reason of having caused any damage to the property of a Board, he shall
be liable to make good such damage, and the amount payable in respect of the damage shall, in case of
dispute, be determined by the Judicial Magistrate by whom the person incurring such penalty is
convicted, and, on non-payment of such amount on demand, the same shall be recovered either by the
distress and sale of the movable property of such person, or by the attachment and sale of the immovable
property of that person, or by both these methods and the Judicial Magistrate shall recover the amount in
accordance with the provisions of sections 421 and 422 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1973 (2 of 1974) as if it were a fine recoverable under a sentence passed by him.
Limitation
337. Limitation for prosecution.—No court shall try any person for an offence made punishable by
or under this Act, after the expiry of six months from the date of the commission of the offence, unless
complaint in respect of the offence has been made to a Judicial Magistrate within the six months
aforesaid.
Suits
338. Protection of action of Board, etc.—No suit or prosecution shall be entertained in any court
against a Board or against the Chief Executive Officer, the Officer Commanding a station, Defence
Estates Officer, Principal Director, General Officer Commanding in Chief, the Command, Director
General Defence Estates, or against any member of a Board, or against any officer or employee of a
Board, for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done, under this Act or any rule or
bye-law made thereunder.
339. Notice to be given of suits.—(1) No suit shall be instituted against any Board or against any
member of a Board, or against any officer or employee of a Board, in respect of any act done, or
purporting to have been done, in pursuance of this Act or of any rule or bye-law made thereunder, until
the expiration of two months after notice in writing has been left at the office of the Board, and, in the
case of such member, officer or employee, unless notice in writing has also been delivered to him or left
at his office or place of abode, and unless such notice states explicitly the cause of action, the nature of
the relief sought, the amount of compensation claimed, and the name and place of abode of the intending
plaintiff, and unless the plaint contains a statement that such notice has been so delivered or left.
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(2) If the Board or member, officer or employee has, before the suit is instituted, tendered sufficient
amounts to the plaintiff, the plaintiff shall not recover any sum in excess of the amount so tendered, and
shall also pay all costs incurred by the defendant after such tender.
(3) No suit, such as is described in sub-section (1), shall, unless it is an action for the recovery of
immovable property or for a declaration of title thereto, be instituted after the expiry of six months from
the date on which the cause of action arises.
(4) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to apply to a suit in which the only relief claimed is an
injunction of which the object would be defeated by the giving of the notice or the postponement of the
institution of the suit or proceeding.
Appeals and Revision
340. Appeals from executive orders.—(1) Any person aggrieved by any order described in the third
column of Schedule V may appeal to the appellate authority specified in that behalf in the fourth column
of the said Schedule.
(2) The Central Government may, for the purposes of expeditious disposal of the pending appeals, by
notification in the Official Gazette, amend Schedule V so as to designate additional appellate authority in
the fourth column of the said Schedule.
(3) No such appeal shall be admitted if it is made after the expiry of the period specified in that
behalf in the fifth column of the said Schedule.
(4) The period specified as aforesaid shall be computed in accordance with the provisions of the
Limitation Act, 1963 (36 of 1963), with respect to the computation of periods of limitation thereunder.
341. Petition of Appeal.—(1) Every appeal under section 340 shall be made by petition in writing
accompanied by a copy of the order appealed against.
(2) Any such petition may be presented to the authority which made the order against which the
appeal is made, and that authority shall be bound to forward it to the appellate authority, and may attach
thereto any report which it may desire to make by way of explanation.
342. Suspension of Action Pending Appeal.—On the admission of an appeal from an order, other
than an order contained in a notice issued under section 144, section 183, section 238, section 273 or
section 302, where the appellate authority so directs, all proceedings to enforce the order and all
prosecutions for any contravention thereof shall be held in abeyance pending the decision of the appeal,
and, if the order is set aside on appeal, disobedience thereto shall not be deemed to be an offence.
343. Revision.—(1) Where an appeal from an order made by the Board has been disposed of by the
District Magistrate, either party to the proceedings may, within thirty days from the date thereof, apply
through the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, the Command to the Central Government, or to such
authority as the Central Government may appoint in this behalf, for revision of the decision.
(2) The provisions of this Chapter with respect to appeals shall apply, as far as may be, to the
applications for revision made under this section.
(3) The appellate authority shall make endeavours to dispose of the appeal made under section 340 of
this Act within a period of ninety days.
344. Finality of the Appellate Orders.—Save as otherwise provided in section 343, every order of
appellate authority shall be final.
345. Right of appellant to be heard.—No appeal shall be decided under this Chapter unless the
appellant has been heard, or has had a reasonable opportunity of being heard in person or through a legal
practitioner.