PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, 1973

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THE PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, 
1973 
(XVII of 1973) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Power to control production, sup ply, distribution, etc. of essential 
articles 
4. Delegation of powers 
5. Effect of orders inconsistent with other enactments 
6. Punishment for contravention 
7. Attempt and abetments 
8. Offences by Corporation 
9. False statements 
10. Offences and procedure 
11. Presumption as to orders 
12. Protection to action taken under the Act 
12-A. Power to make addition to Schedule 
13. Repeal 
SCHEDULE 
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, 1973 
(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:– 
1. 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
[* * * * * * * * * * *   ] 
 (4) It shall come into force at once. 
2. 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 an d 
notified in the official Gazette. 
3. 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 
                                                 
1This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 3rd October, 1973; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 16th 
October, 1973; and, published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 16th October, 1973, pages 1579-D to 1579-J. 
2Omitted by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) (Amendment) Act, 1993 (I of  1994); and published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated 5.3.1994, page 23, s.2. 
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 withholdin g 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 information 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
[(j) for marking of fertilizer bags with the name of fertilizer, nutrient 
contents, and net weight of bag.] 
                                                 
3Added by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 1978 (IV of 1978); and published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated 5.3.1978, s.2. 
(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 contr ol 
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. 
4. Delegation of powers. – Government may, by notified order, direct that the 
power to make order under section 3 shall, in relation to such matters and subject to 
such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the direction, be exercisable also by 
such officer or authority not below the rank of a Gazetted Officer subordinate to 
Government as may be specified in the direction. 
5. Effect of orders inconsistent with other enactments. – A notified order 
shall have effect, notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any 
enactment other than this Act, or any instrument having effect by vir tue of any 
enactment other than this Act. 
6. Punishment for contravention .– (1) If any person contravenes any notified 
order he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 
4
[three] 
years or with fine which shall not be less than the value of the essential articles in 
respect of which the order has been contravened or with both and, if the order so 
provides, any Court trying such contravention may direct that any property in respect 
of which the Court is satisfied that the order has be en contravened shall be forfeited 
to Government. 
(2) The owner of any vessel, conveyance or animal carrying any property 
in respect of which any notified order is contravened, shall, if the carrying is a part of 
the transaction involving the contravention and if he knew or had reason to believe 
that the contravention was being committed, be deemed to have contravened the 
order, and, in addition to the punishment to which he is liable under sub -section (1), 
the vessel, conveyance or animal may when the order  provides for forfeiture of the 
property in respect of which the order is contravened, be forfeited to Government. 
(3) The provisions of this Act shall not apply to the possession, sale or 
movement of any essential article by a person discharging a contrac t entered into by 
him with the Government where the possession or sale is in pursuance of that 
contract. 
5
[(4) Sub-section (1), as amended by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) 
(Amendment) Act 1999 shall apply to all cases of investigation or trial of  offences 
                                                 
4Substituted for the word “seven” by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) (Amendment) Act, 1999 (XII of 1999); and published 
in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 4.9.1999, pages 1251-1252, s.2. 
5Added ibid. 
under this Act pending immediately before the coming into force of the aforesaid 
Amendment Act.] 
7. Attempt and abetments. – Any person who attempts to contravene or abets 
the contravention of any notified order shall be deemed to have contravened  that 
order. 
8. Offences by C orporation.– If the person contravening a notified order is a 
company or other body corporate, every executive director, manager, secretary or 
other officer or agent thereof shall, unless he proves that the contravention took 
place without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent such 
contravention, be deemed to be guilty of such contravention. 
9. False statements.– If any person– 
(i) when required by a notified order to make any statement or furnish any 
information makes any statement or furnishes any information which is 
false in any material particular and which he knows or has reasonable 
cause to believe to be false or does not believe to be true; or 
(ii) makes such statement as aforesaid in any book, a ccount, record, 
declaration, return or other document which he is required by any such 
order to maintain or furnish, he shall be punished with imprisonment for 
a term which may extend to seven years or with fine or with both. 
6
[10. Offences and procedure. – (1) Offences under this Act shall be cognizable 
and non-bailable. 
 (2) The procedure for the trial of offences under this Act shall be the same 
as is laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, for summary trials.] 
11. Presumption as to orders. – (1) No order made in exercise of any powers 
conferred by or under this Act shall be called in question in any Court. 
 (2) Where an order purports to have been made and signed by an 
authority in exercise of any power conferred by or under this Act, a Court sh all 
presume within the meaning of Evidence Act, 1872 , that such order was so made by 
that authority. 
12. Protection to action taken under the Act .– (1) No suit, prosecution or other 
legal proceeding shall lie against any person for anything which is in goo d faith done 
or intended to be done in pursuance of any notified order. 
 (2) No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against Government for any 
damage caused or likely to be caused by anything which is in good faith done or 
intended to be done in pursuance of any notified order. 
7
[12-A. Power to make addition to Schedule. – Government may, by notification in 
the official Gazette, make additions to the Schedule.] 
                                                 
6Substituted by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) ( Amendment) Act, 1975 (XXXV of 1975); and published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 24.6.1975, s.2. 
7Added ibid., s.3. 
13. Repeal.– The Punjab Essential Article (Control) Ordinance, 1973  is hereby 
repealed. 
SCHEDULE 
[See SECTION 2 (c)] 
1. Iron and steel all sorts. 
2. Cement. 
3. Newsprint other than newsprint manufactured in Pakistan. 
4. Bicycles. 
5. Electric lamps. 
6. Mechanically propelled vehicles including those in completely knocked down 
condition. 
7. Tyres and tubes and spare parts of mechanically propelled vehicles. 
8. Caustic soda. 
9. Soda ash. 
10. Imported drugs and medicines other than Unani, Homeopathic or Ayurvedic 
and those compounded by dispensing chemists. 
11. Surgical instruments and appliances, X -Ray films and X -Ray apparatus and 
electro-medical equipment. 
12. Glucose. 
13. Printers ink. 
14. School and College Stationery. 
15. Tractor and tractor-drawn equipment. 
16. Washing soap and toilet soap. 
17. Cycle tyres and tubes. 
18. Batteries. 
19. Building Hardware. 
20. Cycle parts and accessories. 
21. Non-ferrous metals. 
22. Indigenous drugs and medicines (other than Unani, Homeopathic or 
Ayurvedic and those compounded by dispensing chemists), including 
administered by injections. 
23. Sewing machines and parts. 
24. Cigarettes. 
25. 35mm, raw films and X-Ray films. 
26. Papers all sorts. 
27. Imported chemicals, dyes. 
28. Radio and wires and cables. 
29. Sanitary and water supply fittings. 
30. Shaving blades. 
31. Tea. 
32. Tallow. 
33. Dry Battery cells all sorts. 
34. Television and Television parts. 
35. Jute bags, and hassian Kenaf Bags and other jute products. 
36. Cotton, woollen and man-made fibre textile including yarn. 
37. Glassplates and sheets. 
38. Hydrogenated/non-hydrogenated vegetable oil. 
39. Matches. 
40. Fertilizers. 
41. Coal and Coke. 
42. Pakka bricks all sorts including burnt tiles manufa ctured or burnt in any sort of 
Kiln. 
43. Wood all sorts including timber and fire-wood.