(1) With a view to ensure tax compliance, the Commissioner may undertake survey of dealers and cross-verification of purchases.

(2) For the purpose of the survey and cross-verification, the Commissioner may, by general or special notice require any dealer or class of dealers to furnish the names, addresses and such other particulars as he may find necessary relating to the persons and dealers who have purchased any goods from or sold any goods to such dealer or class of dealers during any given period.

(3) For the purpose of survey, the Commissioner may call for details and particulars regarding the services provided by public utilities and financial institutions including banking companies which he is of the opinion will be relevant and useful for the purposes of the survey. He may from time to time cause the results of the survey to be published in any manner that he thinks fit so, however, as not to disclose or indicate the identity of any particular unregistered dealer identified during the survey.

(4) The Commissioner may, for the purposes of the survey and cross-verification enter any place where a dealer is carrying business, whether such place will be principal place of business or not of such business and require any proprietor, employee or any other person who may at that time and place be attending in any manner to, or helping in, the business,

(i) to afford him the necessary facility to inspect such books of accounts or other documents as he may require and which may be available at such place,

(ii) to afford him the necessary facility to check or verify the cash, stock or other valuable particulars or things which may be found therein, and

(iii) to furnish such information as he may require as to any matter which may be useful for, or relevant to any proceedings under this Act.

Explanation - For the purpose of this Section, a place where the person is engaged in business will also include any other place in which the person engaged in business or the said employee or other person attending or helping in business states that any of the books of accounts or other documents or any part of the cash, stock or other valuable articles or things relating to business are kept.

(5) The Commissioner shall enter the place where the person is carrying on business only during the hours at which such place is open for business and in case of the said place or any other place, only after sunrise and before sunset. The Commissioner may make or cause to be made extracts or copies from books of accounts and other documents inspected by him, make an inventory of any cash, stock or other valuable articles or things checked or verified by him and record the statement of any person which may be useful for, or relevant to, any proceedings under this Act.

(6) The Commissioner, in exercise of the powers under this Section, shall on no account, remove or cause to be removed from the place, where he has entered any books of accounts, other documents or any cash, stock or other valuable articles and things.