Section 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 1[an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India, appointed by the Central Government as an appellate authority]. (2) Every such appeal shall be preferred within prescribed period from the date on which the impugned order was made: Provided that the 2[appellate authority] 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 2[appellate authority] 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 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.