Section 19. Determination of debt

19. (1) On receipt of the application under section 17, the Debt Settlement Officer shall, after giving an opportunity to the parties concerned to appear and be heard, determine in respect of the debt in question the amount of the principal and the amount of interest 2[at the rate specified in sub-section (2) of section 9] up to the date of commencement of this Act. (2) Every decision of the Debt Settlement Officer determining the amount of debt under sub-section (1) shall, subject to the result of an appeal under section 23, be final and shall not be called in question in any civil court. (3) The procedure to be followed by the Debt Settlement Officer in any proceeding under this Chapter shall be such as may be prescribed.