The Collector may at any stage of a case cause a local enquiry and report respecting the matter in dispute to be made by any officer subordinate to him, or by any other Officer of Government with the consent of the authority to whom such officer is subordinate, of may himself proceed to the spot and make such local enquiry in person. The provisions of the law for the time being in force relative to local enquiries by Ameens or Commissioners under orders of the Civil Courts shall apply to any local enquiry made by any Officer under this section, and, so far as they are applicable, to enquiries made by the Collector in person. In the latter case the Collector, after completing the enquiry, shall record on the proceedings such observations as appear to him appropriate, and the observations so recorded shall be received as evidence in the suit.