Section 22A. Licences

5[ 22A. Licences .—(1) The State Government may also, 2[if it thinks fit], grant— (a) to a person who is in possession of a second-class master‟s certificate granted under section 21 or section 22, and has, by virtue of such certificate, acted as master of an inland 4[mechanically propelled vessel] having engines of forty or more nominal horse-power for a period of not less than five years, or (b) to a person who is in possession of a first-class engine-driver‟s certificate granted under section 21 or section 22, or an engine-driver‟s[6] [certificate granted or deemed to be granted under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958)] and has, by virtue of such certificate, served as an engine-driver of an inland[1] [mechanically propelled vessel] having engines of not less than seventy nominal horse-power for five years, for not less than two and a half years of which period he has been the engine-driver of such vessel within the meaning of section 26, 1. Subs. by Act 35 of 1977, s. 5, for "steam-vessel" (w.e.f. 1-5-1978). 2. Subs. by the A.O. 1937, for "in its discretion". 3. Subs. by Act 35 of 2007, s. 7, for "an inland mechanically propelled vessel for a period of three years before the first day of November, 1956" (w.e.f. 21-2-2008). 4. Ins. by s. 7, ibid . (w.e.f. 21-2-2008). 5. Ins. by Act 6 of 1920, s. 2. 6. Subs. by Act 35 of 1977, s. 17, for "certificate granted under the Indian Merchant Shipping Act, 1859 (1 of 1859), or granted under, or continued in force by, the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894" (w.e.f. 1-5-1978). a licence authorising such person to act as master or engineer, as the case may be, of any inland[1] [mechanically propelled vessel] having engines of one hundred and seventy nominal horsepower or of such less nominal horse-power[2] [as such Government] may deem fit. (2) Any such licence shall . remain in force only for such time as the person holding the same is in possession of and entitled to a master‟s or an engine-driver‟s certificate, as the case may be, of the nature referred to in sub-section (1): Provided that the State Government may,[3] [if it thinks fit], suspend, cancel or vary the conditions of any such licence.]