The authority having power to grant a license under this Act (hereafter referred to as the licensing authority) shall be the 16[Secretary of the local authority] within whose jurisdiction the place in respect of which the license is to be granted is situate :
Provided that the Government may , by notification, constitute for the whole or any part of the State such other authority as they may specify in the notification to be the licensing authority for the purposes of this Act.
16Substituted by Act 16 of 2000