THE ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES (SPECIAL PROVISIONS) ACT, 1981
ACT NO. 18 OF 1981
[2nd September, 1981.]
An Act to make certain special provisions by way of amendments to the
Essential Commodities Act, 1955, for a temporary period for dealing
more effectively with persons indulging in hoarding and blackmarketing
of, and profiteering in, essential commodities and with the evil of
vicious inflationary prices and for matters connected therewith or
incidental thereto.
WHEREAS for ensuring the availability of essential commodities at
fair prices, it is necessary to curb the hoarding and blackmarketing
of, and profiteering in, such commodities;
AND WHEREAS for dealing more effectively with persons indulging
in such anti-social activities and the evil of vicious inflationary
prices, it is necessary to make certain special provisions by way of
amendments to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (10 of 1955), for a
period of 1*[fifteen years];
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-second Year of the
Republic of India as follows:--
1.
Short title, commencement and duration.
1. Short title, commencement and duration.- (1) This Act may be
called the Essential Commodities (Special Provisions) Act, 1981.
(2) It shall come into force on such date2* as the Central
Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and
different dates may be appointed for different States.
(3) It shall cease to have effect on the expiry of 3*[fifteen
years] from the date of commencement of this Act except as respects
things done or omitted to be done before such cesser of operation
of this Act, and section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897
(10 of 1897), shall apply upon such cesser of operation of this Act
as if it had then been repealed by a Central Act.
(4) References in this Act to the commencement of this Act and to
the continuance in force of this Act shall be construed in relation to
each State as references, respectively, to the coming into force of
this Act in that State and to the continuance in force of this Act in
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1. Subs by Act 34 of 1993, s. 2, for "five years" (w.e.f. 27-8-1982).
2. 1.9.1982: the date on which the Act shall come into force in all
the States and Union territories except the Union territories of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar
Haveli, Lakshadweep and Mizoram Vide Notifn. No. G. S. R. 553 (E),
dated 31.8.1982.
3. Subs by Act 34 of 1993 s. 3, for "five years" (w.e.f. 27-8-1992).
132
2.
Act 10 of 1955 to have effect subject to certain special provisionsfor a
temporary period.
2. Act 10 of 1955 to have effect subject to certain special
provisions for a temporary period.- During the continuance in force of
this Act, the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (hereinafter referred to
as the principal Act) shall have effect subject to the amendments
specified in sections 3 to 11:
Provided that the amendments specified in sections 7 to 11 shall
not apply to, or in relation to, any offence under the principal Act
committed before the commencement of this Act and the provisions of
the principal Act shall apply to, and in relation to, such offence as
if those amendments had not been made.
3.
Amendment of section 2.
3. Amendment of section 2.- In section 2 of the principal Act,--
(a) clause (ia) shall be re-numbered as clause (iia), and
before clause (iia) as so re-numbered, the following clause shall
be inserted, namely:--
`(ia) "Code" means the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1973 (2 of 1974);'; and
(b) after clause (e), the following clause shall be
inserted, namely:--
"(f) words and expressions used but not defined in this
Act and defined in the Code shall have the meanings
respectively assigned to them in that Code.".
4.
Amendment of section 6A.
4. Amendment of section 6A.- In section 6A of the principal Act,
for the proviso to sub-section (2), the following proviso shall be
substituted, namely:--
"Provided that in the case of any such essential commodity
the retail sale price whereof has been fixed by the Central
Government or a State Government under this Act or under any
other law for the time being in force, the Collector may, for its
equitable distribution and availability at fair prices, order the
same to be sold through fair price shops at the price so fixed.".
5.
Amendment of section 6C.
5. Amendment of section 6C.-In section 6C of the principal Act,--
(a) in sub-section (1), for the words "any judicial
authority appointed by the State Government concerned and the
judicial authority", the words "the State Government concerned
and the State Government" shall be substituted;
(b) in sub-section (2), for the words "such judicial
authority", the words "the State Government" shall be
substituted.
6.
Amendment of section 6E.
6. Amendment of section 6E.-In section 6E of the principal Act,--
(a) for the words, figure and letter "the judicial authority
appointed under section 6C", the words, figure and letter "the
State Government concerned under section 6C" shall be
substituted;
(b) for the words "any other court, tribunal or authority",
the words "any court, tribunal or other authority" shall be
substituted.
133
7.
Amendment of section 7.
7. Amendment of section 7.-In section 7 of the principal Act,--
(a) in sub-section (1), the proviso to sub-clause (ii) of
clause (a) shall be omitted;
(b) the proviso to sub-section (2) shall be omitted;
(c) the proviso to sub-section (2A) shall be omitted;
(d) sub-section (2B) shall be omitted.
8.
Amendment of section 8.
8. Amendment of section 8.-To section 8 of the principal Act, the
following proviso shall be added, namely:--
"Provided that where a person has abetted the
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contravention of any order for the purpose of procuring any
essential commodity of the nature mentioned in sub-clause (iva)
or sub-clause (v) of clause (a) of section 2 for his own use or
for the use of any member of his family or for the use of any
person dependent on him, and not for the purpose of carrying on
any business or trade in such essential commodity, the court
may, notwithstanding anything contained in section 7 and for
reasons to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of
fine only.".
9.
Power to arrest. "10AA. Power to arrest.-Notwithstanding anything
contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), no officer
below the rank of an officer in cha
9. Amendment of section 10A.-In section 10A of the principal Act,
after the word "cognizable", the words "and non-bailable" shall be
inserted.
Insertion of new section 10AA.
1*[9A. Insertion of new section 10AA. In the Essential Commodities
Act, 1955 (10 of 1955), after section 10A, the following section shall
be inserted, namely:-
10.
Omission of section 12.
10. Omission of section 12.-Section 12 of the principal Act shall
be omitted.
11.
Substitution of new sections for section 12A.
11. Substitution of new sections for section 12A.-For section 12A
of the principal Act, the following sections shall be substituted,
namely:--
12A.
Constitution of Special Courts.
"12A. Constitution of Special Courts.- (1) The State
Government may, for the purpose of providing speedy trial of the
offences under this Act, by notification in the Official
Gazette, constitute as many Special Courts as may be necessary
for such area or areas as may be specified in the notification.
(2) A Special Court shall consist of a single judge who
shall be appointed by the High Court upon a request made by the
State Government.
Explanation.- In this sub-section, the word "appoint"
shall have the meaning given to it in the Explanation to section
9 of the Code.
(3) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a
judge of a Special Court unless--
(a) he is qualified for appointment as a judge of a
High Court, or
(b) he has, for a period of not less than one year, been
a Sessions Judge or an Additional Sessions Judge.
12AA
Offences triable by Special Courts.
12AA. Offences triable by Special Courts.- (1) Notwithst-
anding anything contained in the Code,--
(a) all offences under this Act shall be triable only
by the Special Court constituted for the area in which
the offence has
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1. Ins. by Act 34 of 1993, s. 4 (w.e.f. 27-8-1992).
134
been committed or where there are more Special Courts than
one for such area, by such one of them as may be
specified in this behalf by the High Court;
(b) where a person accused of or suspected of the
commission of an offence under this Act is forwarded to a
Magistrate under sub-section (2) or sub-section (2A) of
section 167 of the Code, such Magistrate may authorise the
detention of such person in such custody as he thinks
fit for a period not exceeding fifteen days in the whole
where such Magistrate is a Judicial Magistrate and seven
days in the whole where such Magistrate is an Executive
Magistrate:
Provided that such Magistrate considers--
(i) when such person is forwarded to him as aforesaid;
or
(ii) upon or at any time before the expiry of the
period of detention authorised by him;
that the detention of such person is unnecessary, he may, if he
is satisfied that the case falls under the proviso to section 8,
order the release of such person on bail and if he is not so
satisfied, he shall order such person to be forwarded to the
Special Court having jurisdiction;
(c) the Special Court may, subject to the provisions
of clause (d) of this sub-section, exercise, in relation
to the person forwarded to it under clause (b), the
same power which a Magistrate having jurisdiction to
try a case may exercise under section 167 of the Code
in relation to an accused person in such case who has
been forwarded to him under that section;
(d) save as aforesaid no person accused of or suspec-
ted of the commission of an offence under this Act shall
be released on bail by any court other than a Special
Court or the High Court:
Provided that a Special Court shall not release any such
person on bail--
(i) without giving the prosecution an oppor-
tunity to oppose the application for such release
unless the Special Court, for reasons to be
recorded in writing, is of opinion that it is not
practicable to give such opportunity; and
(ii) where the prosecution opposes the applica-
tion, if the Special Court is satisfied that
there appear reasonable grounds for believing that
he has been guilty of the offence concerned:
Provided further that the Special Court may direct
that any such person may be released on bail if he is
under the age of sixteen years or is a woman or is a
sick or infirm person, or if the Special Court is
satisfied that it is just and proper so to do for any
other special reason to be recorded in writing;
(e) a Special Court may, upon a perusal of police report of
the facts constituting an offence under this Act take cognizance
135
of that offence without the accused being committed to it for
trial;
(f) all offences under this Act shall be tried in a summary
way and the provisions of sections 262 to 265 (both inclusive) of
the Code shall, as far as may be, apply to such trial:
Provided that in the case of any conviction in a summary
trial under this section, it shall be lawful for the Special
Court to pass a sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding
two years.
(2) When trying an offence under this Act, a Special Court
may also try an offence other than an offence under this Act,
with which the accused may, under the Code, be charged at the
same trial:
Provided that such other offence is, under any other law
for the time being in force, triable in a summary way:
Provided further that in the case of any conviction for
such other offence in such trial, it shall not be lawful for
the Special Court to pass a sentence of imprisonment for a term
exceeding the term provided for conviction in a summary trial
under such other law.
(3) A Special Court may, with a view to obtaining the
evidence of any person suspected to have been directly or
indirectly concerned in, or privy to, an offence under this
Act, tender a pardon to such person on conditon of his making
a full and true disclosure of the whole circumstances within
his knowledge relating to the offence and to every other person
concerned whether as principal or abettor in the commission
thereof and any pardon so tendered shall, for the purposes of
section 308 of the Code, be deemed to have been tendered under
section 307 thereof.
(4) Nothing contained in this sect on shall be deemed to
affect the special powers of the High Court regarding bail
under section 439 of the Code and the High Court may exercise
such powers including the power under clause (b) of sub-section
(1) of that section as if the reference to "Magistrate" in that
section included also a reference to a "Special Court"
constituted under section 12A.
12AB
Appeal and revision.
12AB. Appeal and revision. The High Court may exercise, so
far as may be applicable, all the powers conferred by Chapters
XXIX and XXX of the Code on a High Court, as if a Special Court
within the local limits of the jurisdiction of the High Court
were a Court of Sessions trying cases within the local limits of
the jurisdiction of the High Court.
12AC
Application of Code to proceeddings before a Special Court.
12AC. Application of Code to proceedings before a Special
Court. Save as otherwise provided in this Act, the provisions
of the Code (including the provisions as to bail and bonds)
shall apply to the proceedings before a Special Court and for
the purposes of the said provisions, the Special Court shall be
deemed to be a Court of Sessions and the person conducting a
prosecution before a Special Court, shall be deemed to be a
Public Prosecutor.'.
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