18Security from certain class of dealers

(1) The Commissioner may, if it appears to him to be necessary so to do for the proper realisation of the tax, composition money or other dues payable under this Act or for the proper custody and use of the forms referred to in the second proviso to clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 4, or the first proviso to section 5, as the case may be, impose, for reasons to be recorded in writing as a condition of the grant of the certificate of registration under section 14, section 15 or section 17 to a dealer or of the continuance in effect of such certificate granted to any dealer, a requirement that the dealer shall furnish in the prescribed manner and within such time as may be specified in the order such security or, as the case may be, such additional security as may be so specified, for all or any of the aforesaid purposes.

(2) No dealer shall be required to furnish any security or additional security under sub-section (1) unless he has been given an opportunity of being heard and the amount of security or additional security that may be required to be furnished, shall,--

(a) in the case of a dealer liable to pay tax under sub-section (2) of section 3 who has applied for the grant of a certificate of registration under section 14, be such amount as the Commissioner may, having regard to the nature and size of the business of such dealer, determine for the payment of the tax for which the dealer may be or become liable under this Act;

(b) in a case where security is to be given for the proper custody and use of the forms referred to in sub-section (1), be the amount of tax determined by the Commissioner which is likely to be saved by a dealer by the issue of such forms;

(c) in any other case, not exceed the tax payable, in accordance with the estimate of the Commissioner on the taxable turnover of the dealer,

for the year in which such security or additional security is required to be furnished.

(3) Where the security or additional security furnished by a dealer is in the form of a security bond and the surety dies or becomes insolvent, the dealer shall, within thirty days of the occurrence of such event, inform the authority granting the certificate of registration and shall, within ninety days of such occurrence, execute a fresh surety bond.

(4) The Commissioner may by order, for good and sufficient cause, and after giving the dealer an opportunity of being heard, forfeit the whole or any part of the security furnished by a dealer.

(5) Where, by reason of an order under sub-section (4), the security furnished by any dealer is forfeited in whole or is rendered insufficient, he shall furnish a fresh security of the requisite amount or, as the case may be, shall make up the deficiency in such manner and within such period as may be specified in the order.