5Chief Inspector and Inspectors

(1)The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such a person as possesses the prescribed qualifications to be Chief Inspector of Mines for all the territories to which this Act extends and such persons as possess the prescribed qualifications to be Inspectors of Mines subordinate to the Chief Inspector.

(2) No person shall be appointed to be Chief Inspector or an Inspector, or having been appointed shall continue to hold such office, who is or becomes directly or indirectly interested in any mine or mining rights in India.

(3) The district magistrate may exercise the powers and perform the duties of an Inspector subject to the general or special orders of the Central Government:

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall be deemed to empower a district magistrate to exercise any of the powers conferred by ¹[section 22 or section 22A] or section 61.

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