{
  "schema_version": "qanun-law-text/1",
  "id": "punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5",
  "title": "PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, 1973",
  "source_collection": "Punjab",
  "content_kind": "stored_law_text",
  "content_extent": null,
  "source_url": "https://punjabcode.punjab.gov.pk/en/show_article/AzZTYQUwADc-",
  "version": null,
  "source_snapshot": "2026-08-06T16:55:01Z",
  "legal_status": "not independently verified",
  "text_quality": "Complete stored UTF-8 TXT file recovered byte-for-byte from owned Drive. Source transcription retained verbatim; legal completeness, OCR accuracy and current consolidation unverified.",
  "text_sha256": "287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d",
  "source_sha256": "287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d",
  "text_version_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d",
  "quality_flags": [],
  "encoding": "UTF-8",
  "text": "THE PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, \r\n1973 \r\n(XVII of 1973) \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement \r\n2. Definitions \r\n3. Power to control production, sup ply, distribution, etc. of essential \r\narticles \r\n4. Delegation of powers \r\n5. Effect of orders inconsistent with other enactments \r\n6. Punishment for contravention \r\n7. Attempt and abetments \r\n8. Offences by Corporation \r\n9. False statements \r\n10. Offences and procedure \r\n11. Presumption as to orders \r\n12. Protection to action taken under the Act \r\n12-A. Power to make addition to Schedule \r\n13. Repeal \r\nSCHEDULE \r\nTEXT \r\n1\r\nTHE PUNJAB ESSENTIAL ARTICLES (CONTROL) ACT, 1973 \r\n(XVII of 1973) \r\n[16th October, 1973] \r\nAn \r\nAct \r\nto provide for regulation of supply, distribution, prices and trade and commerce in \r\nrespect of certain essential articles. \r\nPreamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient in the public interest to provide for powers to \r\nregulate and control the production, acquisition, prices, keeping, storage, movement, \r\ntransport, supply, distribution, disposal, use or consumption of, and trade and \r\ncommerce in certain essential articles in the Province of the Punjab; \r\n It is hereby enacted as follows:– \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be called the \r\nPunjab Essential Articles (Control) Act, 1973. \r\n (2) It extends to the whole of the Province of the Punjab. \r\n (3) \r\n2\r\n[* * * * * * * * * * *   ] \r\n (4) It shall come into force at once. \r\n2. Definitions.– In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following \r\nexpressions shall have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to \r\nsay:– \r\n(a) “Controller” means the Controller of Prices and Supplies appointed by \r\nthe Government and includes a Deputy or Assistant Controller of \r\nPrices and Supplies so appointed, and any other officer authorised by \r\nthe Government to exercise all or any of the powers of the Controller \r\nunder this Act; \r\n(b) “Government” means the Government of the Punjab; \r\n(c) “essential articles” means any of the classes of articles mentioned in \r\nthe Schedule to this Act; and \r\n(d) “notified order” means an order made under section 3 of this Act an d \r\nnotified in the official Gazette. \r\n3. Power to control production, supply, distribution, etc. of essential \r\narticles.– (1) Government, so far as it appears to it to be necessary or expedient for \r\nmaintaining or increasing supplies of any essential article, or for securing its \r\nequitable distribution and availability, or for controlling and fixing the prices of an \r\n                                                 \r\n1This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 3rd October, 1973; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 16th \r\nOctober, 1973; and, published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 16th October, 1973, pages 1579-D to 1579-J. \r\n2Omitted by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) (Amendment) Act, 1993 (I of  1994); and published in the Punjab Gazette \r\n(Extraordinary), dated 5.3.1994, page 23, s.2. \r\nessential article may, by notified order, provide for regulating or prohibiting the \r\nproduction, acquisition, treatment, keeping, storage, movement, transport, supply, \r\ndistribution, availability at fair price, disposal, use or consumption thereof, and trade \r\nand commerce therein. \r\n (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by sub -\r\nsection (1), an order made thereunder may provide– \r\n(a) for regulating by licences, permits or otherwise, the production, \r\nmanufacture, acquisition, treatment, keeping, storage, movement, \r\ntransport, supply, distribution, disposal, use and consumption of any \r\nessential article; \r\n(b) for prohibiting the withholdin g from sale of any essential article \r\nordinarily kept for sale; \r\n(c) for controlling and fixing the prices at which any essential article may \r\nbe bought or sold in any area; \r\n(d) for displaying in a prominent place of business premises a list of prices \r\nfixed for sale and of the quantity of stock of essential articles available \r\nat the time of start of business on a day; \r\n(e) for requiring any person holding stock of an essential article to sell the \r\nwhole or a specified part of the stock to such person or class of  \r\npersons or in such circumstances as may be specified in the order; \r\n(f) for regulating or prohibiting any class of commercial or financial \r\ntransactions relating to any essential article which,  in the opinion of \r\nGovernment, Officer or authority making the order are, or if unregulated \r\nare likely to be detrimental to public interest; \r\n(g) for collecting any information or statistics with a view to regulating or \r\nprohibiting any of the aforesaid matters; \r\n(h) for requiring persons engaged in the production, supply  or distribution \r\nof, or trade or commerce in  any essential article, to maintain and \r\nproduce for inspection such books, accounts and records relating to \r\ntheir business and to furnish such information relating thereto as may \r\nbe specified in the order; and \r\n(i) for any incidental and supplementary matters including, in particular, \r\nthe entering and search of premises, vehicles, vessels and aircrafts, \r\nthe seizure by a person authorised to make such search of any article \r\nin respect of which such person has reason to believe that a \r\ncontravention of the order has been, is being, or is about to be \r\ncommitted or any records connected therewith, the grant or issue of \r\nlicences, permits or other documents, and the charging of fees \r\ntherefor. \r\n3\r\n[(j) for marking of fertilizer bags with the name of fertilizer, nutrient \r\ncontents, and net weight of bag.] \r\n                                                 \r\n3Added by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 1978 (IV of 1978); and published in the Punjab Gazette \r\n(Extraordinary), dated 5.3.1978, s.2. \r\n(3) Government, so far as it appears to it to be necessary for maintaining \r\nor increasing the production and supply of an essential article, or for \r\ncontrolling and fixing of price of an essential article, may, by notified \r\norder, authorise the Controller to exercise with respect to the whole or \r\nany part of any such undertaking engaged in the production and supply \r\nof the articles as may be specified in the order such function of contr ol \r\nas may be provided by the order. \r\n(4) So long as an order is in force with respect to any undertaking or part \r\nthereof, the undertaking or the part thereof shall be carried on in \r\naccordance with any direction given by the Controller in accordance \r\nwith the provisions of the order and any persons having any functions \r\nor management in relation to the undertaking or part thereof shall \r\ncomply with any such direction. \r\n4. Delegation of powers. – Government may, by notified order, direct that the \r\npower to make order under section 3 shall, in relation to such matters and subject to \r\nsuch conditions, if any, as may be specified in the direction, be exercisable also by \r\nsuch officer or authority not below the rank of a Gazetted Officer subordinate to \r\nGovernment as may be specified in the direction. \r\n5. Effect of orders inconsistent with other enactments. – A notified order \r\nshall have effect, notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any \r\nenactment other than this Act, or any instrument having effect by vir tue of any \r\nenactment other than this Act. \r\n6. Punishment for contravention .– (1) If any person contravenes any notified \r\norder he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to \r\n4\r\n[three] \r\nyears or with fine which shall not be less than the value of the essential articles in \r\nrespect of which the order has been contravened or with both and, if the order so \r\nprovides, any Court trying such contravention may direct that any property in respect \r\nof which the Court is satisfied that the order has be en contravened shall be forfeited \r\nto Government. \r\n(2) The owner of any vessel, conveyance or animal carrying any property \r\nin respect of which any notified order is contravened, shall, if the carrying is a part of \r\nthe transaction involving the contravention and if he knew or had reason to believe \r\nthat the contravention was being committed, be deemed to have contravened the \r\norder, and, in addition to the punishment to which he is liable under sub -section (1), \r\nthe vessel, conveyance or animal may when the order  provides for forfeiture of the \r\nproperty in respect of which the order is contravened, be forfeited to Government. \r\n(3) The provisions of this Act shall not apply to the possession, sale or \r\nmovement of any essential article by a person discharging a contrac t entered into by \r\nhim with the Government where the possession or sale is in pursuance of that \r\ncontract. \r\n5\r\n[(4) Sub-section (1), as amended by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) \r\n(Amendment) Act 1999 shall apply to all cases of investigation or trial of  offences \r\n                                                 \r\n4Substituted for the word “seven” by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) (Amendment) Act, 1999 (XII of 1999); and published \r\nin the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 4.9.1999, pages 1251-1252, s.2. \r\n5Added ibid. \r\nunder this Act pending immediately before the coming into force of the aforesaid \r\nAmendment Act.] \r\n7. Attempt and abetments. – Any person who attempts to contravene or abets \r\nthe contravention of any notified order shall be deemed to have contravened  that \r\norder. \r\n8. Offences by C orporation.– If the person contravening a notified order is a \r\ncompany or other body corporate, every executive director, manager, secretary or \r\nother officer or agent thereof shall, unless he proves that the contravention took \r\nplace without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent such \r\ncontravention, be deemed to be guilty of such contravention. \r\n9. False statements.– If any person– \r\n(i) when required by a notified order to make any statement or furnish any \r\ninformation makes any statement or furnishes any information which is \r\nfalse in any material particular and which he knows or has reasonable \r\ncause to believe to be false or does not believe to be true; or \r\n(ii) makes such statement as aforesaid in any book, a ccount, record, \r\ndeclaration, return or other document which he is required by any such \r\norder to maintain or furnish, he shall be punished with imprisonment for \r\na term which may extend to seven years or with fine or with both. \r\n6\r\n[10. Offences and procedure. – (1) Offences under this Act shall be cognizable \r\nand non-bailable. \r\n (2) The procedure for the trial of offences under this Act shall be the same \r\nas is laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, for summary trials.] \r\n11. Presumption as to orders. – (1) No order made in exercise of any powers \r\nconferred by or under this Act shall be called in question in any Court. \r\n (2) Where an order purports to have been made and signed by an \r\nauthority in exercise of any power conferred by or under this Act, a Court sh all \r\npresume within the meaning of Evidence Act, 1872 , that such order was so made by \r\nthat authority. \r\n12. Protection to action taken under the Act .– (1) No suit, prosecution or other \r\nlegal proceeding shall lie against any person for anything which is in goo d faith done \r\nor intended to be done in pursuance of any notified order. \r\n (2) No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against Government for any \r\ndamage caused or likely to be caused by anything which is in good faith done or \r\nintended to be done in pursuance of any notified order. \r\n7\r\n[12-A. Power to make addition to Schedule. – Government may, by notification in \r\nthe official Gazette, make additions to the Schedule.] \r\n                                                 \r\n6Substituted by the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) ( Amendment) Act, 1975 (XXXV of 1975); and published in the Punjab \r\nGazette (Extraordinary), dated 24.6.1975, s.2. \r\n7Added ibid., s.3. \r\n13. Repeal.– The Punjab Essential Article (Control) Ordinance, 1973  is hereby \r\nrepealed. \r\nSCHEDULE \r\n[See SECTION 2 (c)] \r\n1. Iron and steel all sorts. \r\n2. Cement. \r\n3. Newsprint other than newsprint manufactured in Pakistan. \r\n4. Bicycles. \r\n5. Electric lamps. \r\n6. Mechanically propelled vehicles including those in completely knocked down \r\ncondition. \r\n7. Tyres and tubes and spare parts of mechanically propelled vehicles. \r\n8. Caustic soda. \r\n9. Soda ash. \r\n10. Imported drugs and medicines other than Unani, Homeopathic or Ayurvedic \r\nand those compounded by dispensing chemists. \r\n11. Surgical instruments and appliances, X -Ray films and X -Ray apparatus and \r\nelectro-medical equipment. \r\n12. Glucose. \r\n13. Printers ink. \r\n14. School and College Stationery. \r\n15. Tractor and tractor-drawn equipment. \r\n16. Washing soap and toilet soap. \r\n17. Cycle tyres and tubes. \r\n18. Batteries. \r\n19. Building Hardware. \r\n20. Cycle parts and accessories. \r\n21. Non-ferrous metals. \r\n22. Indigenous drugs and medicines (other than Unani, Homeopathic or \r\nAyurvedic and those compounded by dispensing chemists), including \r\nadministered by injections. \r\n23. Sewing machines and parts. \r\n24. Cigarettes. \r\n25. 35mm, raw films and X-Ray films. \r\n26. Papers all sorts. \r\n27. Imported chemicals, dyes. \r\n28. Radio and wires and cables. \r\n29. Sanitary and water supply fittings. \r\n30. Shaving blades. \r\n31. Tea. \r\n32. Tallow. \r\n33. Dry Battery cells all sorts. \r\n34. Television and Television parts. \r\n35. Jute bags, and hassian Kenaf Bags and other jute products. \r\n36. Cotton, woollen and man-made fibre textile including yarn. \r\n37. Glassplates and sheets. \r\n38. Hydrogenated/non-hydrogenated vegetable oil. \r\n39. Matches. \r\n40. Fertilizers. \r\n41. Coal and Coke. \r\n42. Pakka bricks all sorts including burnt tiles manufa ctured or burnt in any sort of \r\nKiln. \r\n43. Wood all sorts including timber and fire-wood.",
  "passage_offset_convention": "zero-based Unicode code points and UTF8 bytes; end exclusive",
  "passages": [
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-0-1789:9c38dc021c7055ebeccc2cf00da60c12db5976789c620af8fd10d03d05f92137",
      "character_start": 0,
      "character_end": 1789,
      "utf8_byte_start": 0,
      "utf8_byte_end": 1803,
      "passage_sha256": "9c38dc021c7055ebeccc2cf00da60c12db5976789c620af8fd10d03d05f92137",
      "reader_fragment": "p-0-1789-9c38dc021c7055eb"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-1789-3582:3aed9d2828e2e4d2bfc4b79db0742fde223b3d8c02fbd2d24ca7915cf1f72f8d",
      "character_start": 1789,
      "character_end": 3582,
      "utf8_byte_start": 1803,
      "utf8_byte_end": 3612,
      "passage_sha256": "3aed9d2828e2e4d2bfc4b79db0742fde223b3d8c02fbd2d24ca7915cf1f72f8d",
      "reader_fragment": "p-1789-3582-3aed9d2828e2e4d2"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-3582-5318:fabc62b192392d10ea5e5d47ce22d2ba064a769e71f546dc723d1d22d76c4866",
      "character_start": 3582,
      "character_end": 5318,
      "utf8_byte_start": 3612,
      "utf8_byte_end": 5348,
      "passage_sha256": "fabc62b192392d10ea5e5d47ce22d2ba064a769e71f546dc723d1d22d76c4866",
      "reader_fragment": "p-3582-5318-fabc62b192392d10"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-5318-7087:98988ffb497fb9728b5ee04072228e2c2486578a155215c9fe7c63bae1ca6980",
      "character_start": 5318,
      "character_end": 7087,
      "utf8_byte_start": 5348,
      "utf8_byte_end": 7119,
      "passage_sha256": "98988ffb497fb9728b5ee04072228e2c2486578a155215c9fe7c63bae1ca6980",
      "reader_fragment": "p-5318-7087-98988ffb497fb972"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-7087-8886:bdc76d490968e63b78ed39308a2f8c217a3e5e7b253465dc5d31226c7ae6d0aa",
      "character_start": 7087,
      "character_end": 8886,
      "utf8_byte_start": 7119,
      "utf8_byte_end": 8922,
      "passage_sha256": "bdc76d490968e63b78ed39308a2f8c217a3e5e7b253465dc5d31226c7ae6d0aa",
      "reader_fragment": "p-7087-8886-bdc76d490968e63b"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-8886-10634:53820690af095da75a164c42049f2e4df6c43efcbe957839863e3db9fa1bcd09",
      "character_start": 8886,
      "character_end": 10634,
      "utf8_byte_start": 8922,
      "utf8_byte_end": 10684,
      "passage_sha256": "53820690af095da75a164c42049f2e4df6c43efcbe957839863e3db9fa1bcd09",
      "reader_fragment": "p-8886-10634-53820690af095da7"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-10634-12401:2406cc47177e4d7cef405ea7d7c50d0fd8ffdd05ee8b1851f0706c021808e684",
      "character_start": 10634,
      "character_end": 12401,
      "utf8_byte_start": 10684,
      "utf8_byte_end": 12459,
      "passage_sha256": "2406cc47177e4d7cef405ea7d7c50d0fd8ffdd05ee8b1851f0706c021808e684",
      "reader_fragment": "p-10634-12401-2406cc47177e4d7c"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-5c3aabdf381e86c5:sha256:287153d3d3c1db29fa3e56d44f036bf375f69c6b776c9d1361559886ea89bc0d:chars-12401-13951:7e7b4906ce770376f9aba948e86677994d741a4498b5be7690fa1085789f3a34",
      "character_start": 12401,
      "character_end": 13951,
      "utf8_byte_start": 12459,
      "utf8_byte_end": 14009,
      "passage_sha256": "7e7b4906ce770376f9aba948e86677994d741a4498b5be7690fa1085789f3a34",
      "reader_fragment": "p-12401-13951-7e7b4906ce770376"
    }
  ]
}