51 .Appeal to Appellate 2 [Deputy] Commissioner

(1) Any person objecting to an order passed by the appropriate authority under section 22, section 24, section 26, sub-sections (1), (2), (3) and (4) of section 27, section 28, section 29, section 34 or sub-section (2) of section 40 other than an order passed by an 3 [Deputy] Commissioner (Assessment) may, within a period of thirty days from the date on which the order was served on him, in the manner prescribed, appeal to the Appellate 3 [Deputy] Commissioner having jurisdiction: Provided that the Appellate 3 [Deputy] Commissioner may, within a further period of thirty days admit an appeal presented after the expiration of the first mentioned period of thirty days if he is satisfied that the appellant had sufficient cause for not presenting the appeal within the first mentioned period:

Provided further that in the case of an order under section 22, section 24, section 26, subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4) of section 27, section 28 or section 29, no appeal shall be entertained under this sub-section unless it is accompanied by satisfactory proof of the payment of the tax admitted by the appellant to be due or of such instalments thereof as might have become payable, as the case may be, and twenty-five per cent of the difference of the tax assessed by the assessing authority and the tax admitted by the appellant.

(2) The appeal shall be in the prescribed form and shall be verified in the prescribed manner and shall be accompanied by such fee not exceeding one hundred rupees as may be prescribed.

(3) In disposing of an appeal, the Appellate 3 [Deputy] Commissioner may, after giving the appellant a reasonable opportunity of being heard, and for the sufficient reasons to be recorded in writing - (a) in the case of an order of assessment -- (i) confirm, reduce, enhance or annul the assessment or the penalty or both; (ii) set aside the assessment and direct the assessing authority to make a fresh assessment after such further inquiry as may be directed; or (iii) pass such other orders as he may think fit; or

b) in the case of any other order, confirm, cancel or vary such order: Provided that at the hearing of any appeal, the appropriate authority shall have the right to be heard either in person or by a representative.

(4) Notwithstanding that an appeal has been preferred under sub-section (1), the tax shall be paid in accordance with the order of assessment against which the appeal has been preferred:

Provided that the Appellate 1[Deputy] Commissioner may, in his discretion, give such directions as he thinks fit in regard to the payment of the tax before the disposal of the appeal, if the appellant furnishes sufficient security to his satisfaction, in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed:

Provided further that the directions given under the first proviso shall stand vacated, if no order is passed under sub-section (3) within a period of one hundred and eighty days of the issue of order under the said proviso.