(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 virt ue 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, 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.]