Market Stability Policies

THE PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, 1973   The Punjab Essential Articles (Control) Act, 1973, is a significant piece of legislation within the Punjab province of Pakistan that empowers the government to regulate and control the production, distribution, and sale of essential articles. This act is designed to ensure the availability of essential goods to the public at fair prices and to prevent hoarding, black marketing, and other practices that could lead to shortages or inflation. Short title, extent and commencement. Definitions. Power to control production, supply, distribution, etc. of essential articles. Delegation of powers. Effect of orders inconsistent with other enactments. Punishment for contravention. Attempt and abetments. Offences by corporation. False statements. Offences and procedure. Presumption as to orders. Protection to action taken under the Act.    12-A.         Power to make addition to Schedule. Repeal. SCHEDULE   [1][1]THE PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, 1973 (Pb Act XVII of 1973) 16th October 1973 An Act to provide for regulation of supply, distribution, prices and trade and commerce in respect of certain essential articles   Preamble.— WHEREAS it is expedient in the public interest to provide for powers to regulate and control the production, acquisition, prices, keeping, storage, movement, transport, supply, distribution, disposal, use or consumption of, and trade and commerce in, certain essential articles in the Province of the Punjab; It is hereby enacted as follows:-   Short title, extent and commencement.— (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) Act, 1973. (2)        It extends to the whole of the Province of the Punjab. (3)        [2][2][**] (4)        It shall come into force at once.   Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions shall have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:- (a)  “Controller” means the Controller of Prices and Supplies appointed by the Government and includes a Deputy or Assistant Controller of Prices and Supplies so appointed, and any other officer authorised by the Government to exercise all or any of the powers of the Controller under this Act; (b)  “Government” means the Government of the Punjab; (c)  “essential articles” means any of the classes of articles mentioned in the Schedule to this Act; and (d) “notified order” means an order made under section 3 of this Act and notified in the official Gazette.   Power to control production, supply, distribution, etc. of essential articles.— (1) Government, so far as it appears to it to be necessary or expedient for maintaining or increasing supplies of any essential article, or for securing its equitable distribution and availability, or for controlling and fixing the prices of an essential article may, by notified order, provide for regulating or prohibiting the production, acquisition, treatment, keeping, storage, movement, transport, supply, distribution, availability at fair price, disposal, use or consumption thereof, and trade and commerce therein. (2)        Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), an order made thereunder may provide— (a)  for regulating by licences, permits or otherwise, the production, manufacture, acquisition, treatment, keeping, storage, movement, transport, supply, distribution, disposal, use and consumption of any essential article; (b)  for prohibiting the withholding from sale of any essential article ordinarily kept for sale; (c)  for controlling and fixing the prices at which any essential article may be bought or sold in any area; (d)  for displaying in a prominent place of business premises a list of prices fixed for sale and of the quantity of stock of essential articles available at the time of start of business on a day; (e)  for requiring any person holding stock of an essential article to sell the whole or a specified part of the stock to such person or class of persons or in such circumstances as may be specified in the order; (f)  for regulating or prohibiting any class of commercial or financial transactions relating to any essential article which, in the opinion of Government, officer or authority making the order are, or if unregulated are likely to be detrimental to public interest; (g)  for collecting any information or statistics with a view to regulating or prohibiting any of the aforesaid matters; (h)  for requiring persons engaged in the production, supply or distribution of, or trade or commerce in, any essential article, to maintain and produce for inspection such books, accounts and records relating to their business and to furnish such infor-mation relating thereto as may be specified in the order; and (i)  for any incidental and supplementary matters including, in particular, the entering and search of premises, vehicles, vessels and aircrafts, the seizure by a person authorised to make such search of any article in respect of which such person has reason to believe that a contravention of the order has been, is being, or is about to be committed or any records connected therewith, the grant or issue of licences, permits or other documents, and the charging of fees therefor. [3][3][(j)  for marking of fertilizer bags with the name of fertilizer, nutrient contents, and net weight of bag.] (3)        Government, so far as it appears to it to be necessary for maintaining or increasing the production and supply of an essential article, or for controlling and fixing of price of an essential article, may, by notified order, authorise the Controller to exercise with respect to the whole or any part of any such undertaking engaged in the production and supply of the articles as may be specified in the order such function of control as may be provided by the order. (4)        So long as an order is in force with respect to any undertaking or part thereof, the undertaking or the part thereof shall be carried on in accordance with any direction given by the Controller in accordance with the provisions of the order and any persons having any functions or management in relation to the undertaking or part thereof shall comply with any such direction.   Delegation of powers.— Government may, by notified order, direct that the