29. Extension of enactments to offshore areas.—The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,— (a) extend with such restrictions and modifications as it thinks fit, any enactment for the time being in force in India or any part thereof to the offshore area or any part thereof; and (b) make such provisions as it may consider necessary for facilitating the enforcement of such enactment, and any enactment so extended shall have effect as if the offshore area or the part thereof, as the case may be, is a part of the territory of India. 30. Compounding of offences.—(1) Any offence punishable under this Act may, either before or after the institution of the prosecution, be compounded by the administering authority or any other officer authorised by the Central Government with respect to that offence, on payment for credit to that Government of such sum as that administering authority or officer, as the case may be, may specify: Provided that such sum shall not, in any case, exceed the maximum amount of the fine which may be imposed under this Act for the offence so compounded. (2) Where an offence is compounded under sub-section (1), no proceeding or further proceeding, as the case may be, shall be taken against the offender in respect of the offence so compounded and the offender, if in custody, shall be released forthwith. 31. Recovery of certain sums as arrears of land revenue.—Any licence fee, royalty, fixed rent or other sum due to the Central Government under this Act or rules made thereunder or under the terms and conditions of a reconnaissance permit, exploration licence or production lease may, on a certificate issued by the administering authority, be recovered in the same manner as if it were an arrear of land revenue and every such sum together with the interest due thereon, shall be the first charge on the assets of the permittee, licensee or lessee, as the case may be. 32. Delegation of powers.—The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that any power exercisable by it under this Act or any rule made thereunder may, in relation to such matter and subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the notification, be exercisable also by such officer or authority subordinate to that Government as may be specified in the notification. 33. Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act or any rule made thereunder. 34. Appeals.—(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), any person aggrieved by an order made by the administering authority or any officer under this Act or the rules made thereunder may prefer an appeal against such order to the Central Government. (2) Every such appeal shall be preferred within prescribed period from the date on which the impugned order was made: Provided that the Central Government may, if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from preferring the appeal within such prescribed period, permit the appellant to prefer the appeal within a further period as may be prescribed. (3) On receipt of any such appeal, the Central Government shall, after giving the parties to the appeal a reasonable opportunity of being heard and after making such inquiry as it deems proper, make such 17 order, as it may think fit, confirming, modifying or reversing the order appealed against, or may send back the case with such direction as it may think fit for a fresh order after taking additional evidence, if necessary. 1 [34A. Power of revision by Central Government.—The Central Government may, of its own motion and for reasons to be recorded in writing, and in accordance with such terms as may be prescribed, revise any order made by the administering authority or any officer under this Act or the rules made thereunder. 34B. Power of Central Government to issue directions.—Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Central Government may give such directions to the administering authority, as it may deem necessary, in public interest, strategic interest of the country, conservation and development of mineral, or to carry out the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder. 34C. Power of Central Government to call for information.—The Central Government may, for the purposes of this Act, require— (a) the administering authority; or (b) a permittee or a licensee or a lessee; or (c) any person whom it has reason to believe to be connected with any activity in respect of minerals in the offshore area, to furnish such information as it may deem necessary for, or relevant to, any enquiry or proceeding, under this Act.] 35. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for the purposes of this Act. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:— (a) the terms and conditions of a reconnaissance permit, exploration licence or production lease under sub-section (1) of section 5; 2 [(aa) such other authority to whom, all exploration and operational data, reports, samples and other information in respect of or collected pursuant to an operation, is to be furnished by the lessee, licensee or permittee the manner and the period within which, they are to be furnished, under clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 5; (ab) the terms and conditions subject to which the data, reports, samples or information is to be disseminated pursuant to a sale or otherwise under clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 5;] (b) conditions for grant of operating right under clause (b) of section 6; 3 [(c) the conditions and manner for regulating the grant of mineral concessions in respect of minerals specified in Part B of the First Schedule to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957), under the first proviso to section 6; (ca) the parameters for adequately establishing existence of mineral resources under the second proviso to section 6;] 4* * * * * 2 [(ja) the terms and conditions for grant of a composite licence or a production lease to a Government company or corporation under section 8; (jb) the eligibility conditions to be fulfilled, the terms and conditions for conducting competitive bidding, the manner and bidding parameters for grant of a composite licence under sub-section (1) of section 12; (jc) the conditions subject to which extension is to be granted to the licensee for completion of the exploration operations under the first proviso to sub-section (3) of section 12; 1. Ins. by Act 17 of 2023, s. 20 (w.e.f. 17-8-2023). 2. Ins. by s. 21, ibid. (w.e.f. 17-8-2023). 3. Subs. by s. 21, ibid., for clause (c) (w.e.f. 17-8-2023). 4. Clauses (d) to (j) omitted by s. 21, ibid. (w.e.f. 17-8-2023). 18 (jd) terms, milestone and relinquishment requirements for commencing and carrying out exploration operation under sub-section (5) of section 12; (je) the form of application to be made to the administering authority for grant of production lease under sub-section (6) and the procedure therefor under sub-section (8) of section 12; (jf) eligibility conditions to be fulfilled, the terms and conditions for conducting competitive bidding, the manner and bidding parameters for grant of a production lease under sub-section (1) of section 13; (jg) the terms and conditions subject to which the production operations shall be commenced and carried out under sub-section (5) of section 13; (jh) the group of associated minerals to be specified under sub-section (1) of section 13A; (ji) the manner and the conditions for transfer of a composite licence or a production lease under section 13B; (jj) such other purposes for which the funds accrued to the Offshore Area Mineral Trust shall be used under sub-section (2) of section 16A; (jk) the composition and functions of the Offshore Area Mineral Trust under sub-section (3) of section 16A; (jl) the manner of administration of funds accrued to the Offshore Area Mineral Trust under sub-section (4) of section 16A; (jm) the manner of payment of amounts to the Offshore Area Mineral Trust under sub-section (5) of section 16A;] (k) norms for regulating the safety and health of persons and safety of property engaged in operations authorised under this Act, the implementation thereof and matters connected therewith under sub-section (2) of section 19; 1 [(ka) the steps necessary to be taken for conservation and systematic development of minerals in the offshore areas and for the protection of environment by preventing or controlling any pollution which may be caused by exploration or production operations under section 19A;] (l) the measures to be taken for prevention and control of pollution and protection of marine environment due to activities in the offshore areas under sub-section (3) of section 20; (m) the manner of filing application under sub-section (3) of section 28; (n) the manner of filing reply under sub-section (4) of section 28; (o) any other matter under clause (f) of sub-section (5) of section 28; (p) the period within which appeal shall be preferred under, and the further period which may be permitted under the proviso to, sub-section (2) of section 34; 1 [(pa) the measures to be taken for preventing illegal mining, transportation, and storage of minerals and for the purposes connected therewith;] (q) any other matter which is to be, or may be, prescribed under this Act. (3) Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule. [36. Relaxation in specific cases.]— Omitted by the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2023 (17 of 2023), s. 22 (w.e.f. 17-8-2023). 1. Ins. by Act 17 of 2023, s. 21 (w.e.f. 17-8-2023). 19 37. Persons to be public servants.—The administering authority or any other officer shall be deemed, while acting or purporting to act in pursuance of any of the provisions of this Act, to be public servants within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). 38. Removal of difficulties.—(1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, or of any of the enactments extended under section 29, the Central Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, make such provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act or, as the case may be, of such enactment, as may appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty: Provided that no order shall be made under this section,— (a) in the case of any difficulty arising in giving effect to any provision of this Act, after the expiry of three years from the commencement of such provision; (b) in the case of any difficulty arising in giving effect to the provisions of any enactment extended under section 29, after the expiry of three years from the extension of such enactment. (2) Every order made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament.