{
  "schema_version": "qanun-law-text/1",
  "id": "punjab-code-7d9b396a5106db70",
  "title": "PUNJAB ELECTRICITY (EMERGENCY POWERS) ACT, 1941",
  "source_collection": "Punjab",
  "content_kind": "stored_law_text",
  "content_extent": null,
  "source_url": "https://punjabcode.punjab.gov.pk/en/show_article/XWgANgM8UmY-",
  "version": null,
  "source_snapshot": "2026-08-06T16:54:36Z",
  "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": "a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9",
  "source_sha256": "a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9",
  "text_version_id": "law:punjab-code-7d9b396a5106db70:sha256:a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9",
  "quality_flags": [],
  "encoding": "UTF-8",
  "text": "THE PUNJAB ELECTRICITY (EMERGENCY POWERS) ACT, \r\n1941 \r\n(XIV of 1941) \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title. \r\n2. Interpretation. \r\n3. Exercise of emergency powers. \r\n4. Service. \r\n5. Effect of service or posting. \r\n6. Transfer of property. \r\n7. Power to contract. \r\n8. Conditions of service of employees. \r\n9. Accounts. \r\n10. Compensation. \r\n11. Penalties. \r\n12. Bar of jurisdiction. \r\n13. Power to make rules. \r\n \r\nTEXT \r\n1\r\nTHE PUNJAB ELECTRICITY (EMERGENCY POWERS) ACT, 1941 \r\n(XIV of 1941) \r\n[6th May, 1942] \r\nAn \r\nAct \r\nto provide for the protection of the public in cases of emergency. \r\n It is hereby enacted as follows:– \r\n1. Short title .– This Act may be called the Punjab Electricity (Emergency \r\nPowers) Act, 1941. \r\n2. Interpretation.– For the purposes of this Act, the expression “public electricity \r\nservice” shall mean an electric supply undertaking licensed under the provisions of \r\nthe \r\n2\r\n[*] Electricity Act, 1910\r\n3\r\n, and shall include any establishment ancillary thereto \r\nand necessary for its working. \r\n3. Exercise of emergency powers .– (1) If at any time it appears to the \r\nProvincial Government– \r\n(a) that there is any likelihood of a failure in the continuous supply of a \r\npublic electricity service or a diminution of such supply , and that such \r\nfailure or diminution will be to the public disadvantage, or \r\n(b) that there is any doubt as to whet her the Provincial Government or any \r\nother person is the owner of public electricity service, or \r\n(c) that it is expedient, during any period of transfer of the public electricity \r\nservice t o the Provincial Government to assume possession and \r\ncontrol of such service, \r\nthe Provincial Government may by order in writing declare its intention of assuming \r\npossession and control thereof for and on behalf of such service. \r\n (2) No such order shall be in force for more than six months,  without \r\nprejudice to the issue of another such order at or before the end of that period: \r\n Provided that the maximum period during which such orders may continue in \r\nforce at any one time shall not exceed two years from  the commencement of the first \r\norder. \r\n \r\n1For Statement of Objects and Reasons, publishd in the Government Gazette, Punjab, Part I, dated April 4, 1941, p. 294; for \r\nReport of the Select Committee, see ibid., 1941, Part V, pp. 37-46; for Debates in Assembly, see Punjab Legislative Assembly \r\nDebates, Volume XVII, p p. 470-487, 501-528 ibid., Volume XVIII, p p. 34-35, 47-65, 195-244. This Act received the assent of \r\nHis Excellency the Governor-General on April 30, 1942 , published in the Govern ment Gazette (Extraordinary), Punjab, dated \r\nMay 6, 1942, pp. 57-58. \r\n2Omitted the word “Indian” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation, Revision and Repeal) Act, 1954 (XV of 1955), published  in the \r\nPunjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated January 21, 1955, pp. 87-108, s.2 read with First Schedule. \r\n3IX of 1910.  \r\n4. Service.– A copy of the order , duly authenticated, shall be served on the \r\nowner or the person in charge of the public electricity service or on any person in \r\ncharge of any property of which possession or control is to be assumed: \r\n Provided that the Provincial Government may, instead o f effecting service as \r\naforesaid, cause a copy of the order to be posted on some conspicuous part of the \r\nregistered office of the public electricity service or, if that be not practicabl e, in some \r\nconspicuous place in the area of supply. \r\n5. Effect of service or posting.– When a copy of the order is served or posted \r\nin the manner provided by the last preceding section, the possession and control of \r\nsuch public electricity service shall be deemed to vest in the Provincial Government \r\nnotwithstanding any obligation or limitation imposed on such service by virtue of any \r\nAct or other instrument determining its functions. \r\n6. Transfer of property .– As soon as may be after the issue of an order und er \r\nsub-section (1) of section 3, the owner or person in charge of the public electricity \r\nservice shall make over to the Provincial Government or such person as it may \r\ndirect, all books, accounts, documents, furniture and all other property, of \r\nwhatsoever n ature or kind, both movable and immovable, belonging to the said \r\nservice and in its possession or control considered necessary by the Provincial \r\nGovernment for the purpose of carrying on the work of the company. \r\n7. Power to contract.– (1) During such period as the public electricity service is \r\nin the possession and control o f the Provincial Government, the Provincial \r\nGovernment shall have power to acquire and hold property, both movable and \r\nimmovable, and to transfer any property held by it for and on behal f o f the public \r\nelectricity service and to contract and to do all othe r things necessary for the \r\npurposes of its efficient management. \r\n (2) All debts and obligations incurred, all contracts entered into and all \r\nmatters and things engaged to be done by the Provincial Government for and on \r\nbehalf of the public electricity serv ice shall be deemed to have been incurred, \r\nentered into or engaged to be done by the said public electricity service. \r\n8. Conditions of service of employees .– (1) All officers and  servants i n the \r\nemployment of the public electricity service on the issue of  an order under sub -\r\nsection (1) of section 3, shall, subject to their conditions of service, continue to be \r\nofficers and servants of such service during such period as it is in the posses sion \r\nand control of the Provincial Government and the conditions of s ervice, pay and \r\nallowances of such officers and servants shall be their existing conditions of service, \r\npay and allowances. \r\n (2) The Provincial Government shall exercise all the powers of  the public \r\nelectricity service in respect of all such officers and servants. \r\n9. Accounts.– The Provincial Government, or such officer as it may direct, shall \r\nkeep proper books of account and shall make therein full and proper entries relating \r\nto the business or undertaking during such period as the business or undertaking is \r\nin the possession and control of the Provincial Government. \r\n10. Compensation.– (1) The Provincial Government shall award compensation if \r\nthe public electricity service sustains damage by reason of the exercise or the failure \r\nto exercise of any of the powers conferred by this Act. \r\n (2) Any dispute as to whether compensation is payable or as to the \r\namount of any compensation so payable, shall, in default of agreement, be \r\ndetermined by arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the  \r\n1\r\n[*] Arbitration Act, \r\n1940. \r\n11. Penalties.– Whoever disobeys or neglects to comply with any order passed, \r\ndirection given or condition prescribed in accordance with the provisions of this Act \r\nor impedes the  lawful exercise of any power conferred by this Act, shall be \r\npunishable with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with \r\nimprisonment which may extend to six months, or with both. \r\n12. Bar of jurisdiction.– (1) No civil court shall have jurisdict ion to settle, decide \r\nor deal with any matter which is by or under th is Act required to be settled, decided \r\nor dealt with by the Provincial Government. \r\n (2) No suit, prosecution, or other legal proceeding shall lie against any \r\nperson for any thing done or intended to be done under this Act in good faith and \r\nwith due care and attention. \r\n (3) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to exempt any public electricity \r\nservice during such period as it is in the possession and control of the Provincial \r\nGovernment from its liability on any contract entered into by the said service or by \r\nthe Provincial Government on its behalf. \r\n13. Power to make rules.– (1) The Provincial Government may, by notification in \r\nthe official Gazette, make rules for the purpose of giving effe ct to the provisions of \r\nthis Act. \r\n (2) The power to make rules confer red by this section shall, except on the \r\nfirst occasion of the exercise thereof, be subject to the condition of previous \r\npublication. \r\n (3) In making any rule under this section, the Provi ncial Government may \r\nprovide that a contravention of the rules shall be punishable with a fine which may \r\nextend to fifty rupees. \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n1Omitted the word “Indian” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation, Revision and Repeal) Act, 1954 (XV of 1955), published in the \r\nPunjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated January 21, 1955, pp. 87-108, s.2 read with First Schedule.",
  "passage_offset_convention": "zero-based Unicode code points and UTF8 bytes; end exclusive",
  "passages": [
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-7d9b396a5106db70:sha256:a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9:chars-0-1741:a8582f0cb0dc667335c80bf206cf6bd43dc384309421c41e967500010d2d00bf",
      "character_start": 0,
      "character_end": 1741,
      "utf8_byte_start": 0,
      "utf8_byte_end": 1755,
      "passage_sha256": "a8582f0cb0dc667335c80bf206cf6bd43dc384309421c41e967500010d2d00bf",
      "reader_fragment": "p-0-1741-a8582f0cb0dc6673"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-7d9b396a5106db70:sha256:a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9:chars-1741-3539:0ea0a5e7cce6d128032a3b191d5d9d7c16676386fb20315f873d59a57994522e",
      "character_start": 1741,
      "character_end": 3539,
      "utf8_byte_start": 1755,
      "utf8_byte_end": 3561,
      "passage_sha256": "0ea0a5e7cce6d128032a3b191d5d9d7c16676386fb20315f873d59a57994522e",
      "reader_fragment": "p-1741-3539-0ea0a5e7cce6d128"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-7d9b396a5106db70:sha256:a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9:chars-3539-5264:26038b72f070a8c9467adef06c19ca1a9bd78bd2e21f429b9676c144180c5d2f",
      "character_start": 3539,
      "character_end": 5264,
      "utf8_byte_start": 3561,
      "utf8_byte_end": 5292,
      "passage_sha256": "26038b72f070a8c9467adef06c19ca1a9bd78bd2e21f429b9676c144180c5d2f",
      "reader_fragment": "p-3539-5264-26038b72f070a8c9"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-7d9b396a5106db70:sha256:a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9:chars-5264-7041:aad9326d7b2bfd09021cb963a3fbf78e29f54939c448e563693629828345dd12",
      "character_start": 5264,
      "character_end": 7041,
      "utf8_byte_start": 5292,
      "utf8_byte_end": 7075,
      "passage_sha256": "aad9326d7b2bfd09021cb963a3fbf78e29f54939c448e563693629828345dd12",
      "reader_fragment": "p-5264-7041-aad9326d7b2bfd09"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-7d9b396a5106db70:sha256:a0300f179776d3a86fe4a74053f007c2083d46720f4c08e2728f013c4211d5a9:chars-7041-8549:866cf7e18aead66602b54b68c266d578d74fc12347274c3e383220e4b4c835d6",
      "character_start": 7041,
      "character_end": 8549,
      "utf8_byte_start": 7075,
      "utf8_byte_end": 8591,
      "passage_sha256": "866cf7e18aead66602b54b68c266d578d74fc12347274c3e383220e4b4c835d6",
      "reader_fragment": "p-7041-8549-866cf7e18aead666"
    }
  ]
}