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Essential Commodities (Punjab Amendment) Act, 1959

Act 34 of 1959

hl199

For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Punjab Government Gazette Extraordinary, dated the 30th June, 1959.

Received the assent of the President on the 17th August, 1959, and was first published in the Punjab Government Gazette Extraordinary, dated the 27th August, 1959.

An Act to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, in its application to the State of Punjab.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Tenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

  1. Short title, extent and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Essential Commodities (Punjab Amendment) Act, 1959.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Punjab.

(3) It shall come into force at once.

Object & Reasons6

 

Statement of Objects and Reasons. - "While the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, enables the court to order forfeiture of any essential commodity in respect of which an offence has been committed under that Act, there is no provision for the forfeiture of packages, coverings or receptacles containing such essential commodity or the animals, vehicle, vessels or other conveyances used in carrying such commodity. It is proposed to confer this power on the court in respect of foodstuffs for the present. This will assist the Government in effectivity preventing the smuggling of controlled foodstuffs from the Punjab". (Punjab Government Gazette Extraordinary, dated the 30th June, 1959).
  1. Insertion of new section 7-A in Parliament Act 10 of 1955.- After section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, in its application to the State of Punjab, the following new section shall be inserted, namely:-

"7-A. Forfeiture of certain property used in the commission of the offence. - Whenever any offence relating to foodstuffs which is punishable under section 7 has been committed, the court shall direct that all the packages, coverings or receptacles in which any property liable to be forfeited under the said section is found and all the animals, vehicles vessels, or other conveyances used in carrying the said property shall be forfeited to the Government".