{
  "schema_version": "qanun-law-text/1",
  "id": "punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747",
  "title": "PUNJAB PREVENTION OF SPECULATION IN ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES ACT 2021",
  "source_collection": "Punjab",
  "content_kind": "stored_law_text",
  "content_extent": null,
  "source_url": "https://punjabcode.punjab.gov.pk/en/show_article/UmJda1NiW2lVNw--",
  "version": null,
  "source_snapshot": "2026-08-06T16:59:17Z",
  "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": "99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa",
  "source_sha256": "99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa",
  "text_version_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa",
  "quality_flags": [],
  "encoding": "UTF-8",
  "text": "THE PUNJAB PREVENTION OF SPECULATION IN \r\nESSENTIAL COMMODITIES ACT 2021 \r\n(XLI of 2021) \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement. \r\n2. Definitions. \r\n3. Information and declarations. \r\n4. Registration of delivery order. \r\n5. Period for lifting of. \r\n6. Power of search and seizure. \r\n7. Power to sell seized essential commodities. \r\n8. Penalty for owning or keeping or having charge of a common house. \r\n9. Penalty for being found in common house. \r\n10. Penalty for offence of speculation. \r\n11. Aiding and abetting. \r\n12. Inquiry, Investigation and Trial. \r\n13. Cognizance. \r\n14. Offences. \r\n15. Offences by corporations etc. \r\n16. Power to amend the Schedule. \r\n17. Power to make rules. \r\n18. Override effect. \r\nSCHEDULE \r\nTEXT \r\n1\r\nTHE PUNJAB PREVENTION OF SPECULATION IN ESSENTIAL \r\nCOMMODITIES ACT 2021 \r\n(XLI of 2021) \r\n[24th December, 2021] \r\nAn \r\nAct \r\nto provide for the prevention of speculation in essential commodities. \r\nIt is expedient to provide for prevention of speculation in essential commodities to \r\ncurb artificial price hike and profiteering in the best public interest. \r\nBe it enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows:  \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the \r\nPunjab Prevention of Speculation in Essential Commodities Act 2021. \r\n(2) This Act extends to whole of the Punjab. \r\n(3) This Act shall come into force at once. \r\n \r\n2. Definitions.– In this Act: \r\n(a) “authorized officer” means Director General Industries, Prices, Weights \r\nand Measures, Punjab, Director Food, a Deputy Commissioner or an \r\nofficer authorized by him in this behalf, or any other officer as may be \r\nnominated by the Government to perform any function under this Act; \r\n(b) “Code” means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898); \r\n(c) “common house” means any structure including a house, room, tent, \r\nenclosure, vehicle, vessel, warehouse, or any other place in which \r\nessential commodities or any i nstrument pertaining to an essential \r\ncommodity is kept, stored, used or traded through speculation; \r\n(d) “dealer” includes any person, trader, firm, an association, body of \r\npersons or individuals, a company or their agents carrying on the \r\nbusiness of purcha sing, selling or storing essential commodities and \r\nincludes a manufacturer, producer, packager, importer, exporter, \r\nwholesaler or retailer of essential commodities; \r\n(e) “delivery order” means a document, instrument or written order from an \r\nowner or his agent directed to a warehouse or a carrier authorizing the \r\nrelease of transportation of essential commodities to the consignee; \r\n(f) “essential commodity” means any of the commodities mentioned in the \r\nSchedule to this Act or any other commodity as the Governme nt may, \r\nby notification in the official Gazette, declare to be an essential \r\ncommodity; \r\n(g) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; \r\n                                                      \r\n1This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 2 4 December 2021; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 24 \r\nDecember 2021; and, was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 24 December 2021, pp. 3141-3144 \r\n(h) “instrument” means any financial instrument used or intended to be \r\nused as a means of carrying on or facilitating speculation, and includes \r\nany document used as a register or as record or evidence of any \r\nspeculation; \r\n(i) “person” includes a natural and legal person; \r\n(j) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules; \r\n(k) “rules” means the rules made under this Act; \r\n(l) “Schedule” means the Schedule appended to this Act; and \r\n(m) “speculation” includes wagering, betting or Satta, by whatever name \r\ncalled, in trading in an essential commodity for unreasonable profit or \r\nreturn through an instrument, a gaming house or any mode o r medium \r\nincluding electronic medium such as smartphone, internet or any \r\ncommunication appurtenance or technology. \r\n \r\n3. Information and declarations.– (1) Every person shall provide to authorized \r\nofficer information regarding production, purchase, stock, s ale or distribution of \r\nessential commodities and such other information as may be prescribed. \r\n (2) An authorized officer may direct the owner or manufacturer of essential \r\ncommodities or owner or manager of godowns  or storage places or their agents to \r\ndeclare stocks of essential commodities. \r\n (3) The declaration under subsection (2) shall include the quantity of \r\nstocks, their value, date of purchase, copies of procurement invoices along with \r\ndetails of any sale or sale agreements. \r\n (4) The authorized officer may verify the stock as well as the books or \r\ndocuments in respect of the stock, purchase or sale, at any time, in respect of \r\narticles. \r\n (5) While carrying out the verification of stock in terms of subsection (4) or \r\nupon receipt of any information from whatever source, the authorized officer may \r\nrequire the producer, dealer, owner or manager of a godown or storage place to \r\nfurnish the details of persons, shops firms or companies, etc. from whom the \r\npurchases of ess ential commodities have been made and to whom the sales of \r\nessential commodities have been or are to be made. \r\n (6) Whoever contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) or provides false \r\ninformation shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six \r\nmonths and fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees.  \r\n \r\n4. Registration of delivery order .– (1) Every person or consignee or owner or \r\nagent to whom delivery order of essential commodities is made shall get the delivery \r\norder regis ter with the authorized officer of the district where such essential \r\ncommodity is stored in such manner as may be determined by the authorized officer. \r\n (2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) or provides false \r\ninformation shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six \r\nmonths and fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees. \r\n \r\n5. Period for lifting of .– (1) Every person or consignee or owner or agent shall \r\nbe bound to lift essential commodities as per delive ry order within fifteen days from \r\nissuance of the delivery order except for industrial purpose or bulk consumer where \r\nthe lifting shall be done within ninety days:  \r\nprovided that in case of force majeure , the authorized officer may extend time for \r\nlifting of sold essential commodities for another fifteen days.  \r\n (2) Any sold essential commodities not lifted within the stipulated period \r\nmentioned under subsection (1) shall be liable to be seized by the authorized officer. \r\n \r\n6. Power of search and seizure .– (1) When an authorized officer has \r\nreasonable grounds to suspect, either upon information from anyone or on his own, \r\nthat there has been a contravention of any of the provisions of this Act, he may, after \r\nrecording in writing the grounds of his suspicion, enter and search, without any \r\nwarrant, any common house where a dealer keeps, or is for the time being keeping \r\nessential commodities stock or instruments of speculation or essential commodities, \r\nits accounts, registers or any other related items or things ancillary thereto. \r\n (2) Upon entry in and search of a premises under subsection (1), if any \r\narticle or instrument is found at such premises in contravention of any of the \r\nprovisions of this Act, the author ized officer shall immediately seize the same and \r\nprepare a detailed report regarding the articles, instruments or material found during \r\nsuch search. \r\n (3) The provisions of the Code shall not be applicable on search and \r\nseizure under this Act. \r\n \r\n7. Power to sell seized essential commodities.– (1) Notwithstanding anything \r\ncontained in any other law for the time being in force and in addition to the \r\nprosecution under this Act, the authorized officer may sell the essential commodities \r\nseized under this Act at the notified price within thirty days of the seizure.  \r\n (2) The proceeds collected under subsection (1) shall be deposited in the \r\nconcerned treasury, and if: \r\n(a) the accused person whose stock of essential commodity is sold \r\nis acquitted of the offence, the depo sited amount shall be \r\nreleased to the accused; or  \r\n(b) the accused person whose essential commodities are sold, is \r\nconvicted of the offence the deposited amount shall be \r\ndeposited into the Provincial Consolidated Fund. \r\n \r\n8. Penalty for owning or keeping or having charge of a common house.– \r\nWhoever: \r\n(a) having the use of any house, room, tent, enclosure, vehicle, vessel or \r\nother place keeps or uses, or knowingly or willfully permits the same to \r\nbe occupied, kept or used by any other person as a common house; or \r\n(b) has the care or management or in any manner assists in conducting \r\nthe business of any common house; or \r\n(c) advances or furnishes money for the purpose of speculation with \r\npersons frequenting any common house, shall be punishable with \r\nimprisonment for a term wh ich may extend to three years or fine which \r\nmay extend to one million rupees but which shall not be less than five \r\nhundred thousand rupees. \r\n \r\n9. Penalty for being found in common house .– Whoever is found in any \r\ncommon house in which essential commodities st ock or any instrument of essential \r\ncommodities is being kept or used for speculation, shall be punishable with \r\nimprisonment for a term which may extend to one year but which shall not be less \r\nthan six months and fine which may extend to five hundred thousa nd rupees but \r\nshall not be less than one hundred thousand rupees. \r\n \r\n10. Penalty for offence of speculation .– Any person found involved in the \r\nbusiness of speculation in essential commodities shall be guilty of an offence \r\npunishable with simple imprisonment up to three years and fine equivalent to fifty \r\npercent of the value of the articles involved in the case bu t which shall not be less \r\nthan five hundred thousand rupees. \r\n \r\n11. Aiding and abetting.– A person shall be guilty of an offence under this Act if \r\nhe participates in, associates, conspires to commit, attempts to commit, aides, \r\nfacilitates, or counsels the commission of an offence specified in the Act and shall be \r\npunishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year but which \r\nshall not be less than six months and fine which may extend to five hundred \r\nthousand rupees but shall not be less than one hundred thousand rupees.  \r\n \r\n12. Inquiry, Investigation and Trial .– (1) For the purposes of this Act, the \r\ninquiry, investigation and trial shall be conducted under the Code. \r\n (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the authorized officer shall have all \r\nthe powers conferred by the Code and this Act. \r\n (3) The authorized officer shall proceed for enquiry of a matter under this \r\nAct, and he may seek assistance from any statutory body for the purpose.   \r\n (4) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 13 and any other \r\nprovision of this Act  or any other law for the time being in force, if an authorized \r\nofficer believes that he is unable to proceed for enquiry under subsection (3) owing \r\nto any compelling reason, he may refer the matter to Anti -Corruption Establishment \r\nestablished under the Punjab Anti -Corruption Establishment Ordinance, 1961 (XX of \r\n1961), and the Establishment may also co -opt any other agency or regulator of the \r\nFederal Government or the Government for the purpose of enquiry and investigation \r\nof the matter. \r\n (5) The enquiry, investigation and trial of a matter referred to Anti -\r\nCorruption Establishment under subsection (4) shall be conducted as per the Punjab \r\nAnti-Corruption Establishment Ordinance, 1961 (XX of 1961).  \r\n \r\n13. Cognizance.– (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code, all \r\noffences punishable under this Act shall be cognizable and non -bailable, but a case \r\nmay not be registered under this section without an enquiry.  \r\n (2) The trial under this Act shall be concluded within ninety days. \r\n \r\n14. Offences.– The Court having jurisdiction under this Act shall within its \r\nterritorial jurisdiction, exercise jurisdiction to try and adjudicate the offences \r\npunishable under this Act. \r\n \r\n15. Offences by corporations etc. – If an offence under this Act is committed by \r\na company, body corporate, partnership firm, ot her association, body of persons or \r\nindividuals, every director, partner, manager, secretary, member or other officer, or \r\nagents thereof shall, unless he proves that the contravention took place without his \r\nknowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent such contravention, be \r\ndeemed to be guilty of such contravention and shall be liable to punishment under \r\nthis Act. \r\n \r\n16. Power to amend the Schedule.– The Government may amend the Schedule \r\nfor carrying out the purposes of this Act. \r\n \r\n17. Power to make rules .– The Government may, by notification in the official \r\nGazette, make rules for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act. \r\n \r\n18. Override effect .– This Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything \r\ncontained in any other law for the time being in force. \r\n  \r\n \r\nSCHEDULE  \r\nSection 2(f) \r\nEssential Commodities  \r\n \r\n1. Sugar \r\n2. Wheat  \r\n3. Vegetable Ghee, Cooking/ Edible oil \r\n4. Rice",
  "passage_offset_convention": "zero-based Unicode code points and UTF8 bytes; end exclusive",
  "passages": [
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-0-1741:18d4d27a8d477b05265aca23ce688dae2c25b46abeadb862ebb68c2cced68ccf",
      "character_start": 0,
      "character_end": 1741,
      "utf8_byte_start": 0,
      "utf8_byte_end": 1749,
      "passage_sha256": "18d4d27a8d477b05265aca23ce688dae2c25b46abeadb862ebb68c2cced68ccf",
      "reader_fragment": "p-0-1741-18d4d27a8d477b05"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-1741-3535:b30b60fd260d1bfc1f92e38c6d0a01c7f05dd9bbb387bb3e4448e447f21522ec",
      "character_start": 1741,
      "character_end": 3535,
      "utf8_byte_start": 1749,
      "utf8_byte_end": 3579,
      "passage_sha256": "b30b60fd260d1bfc1f92e38c6d0a01c7f05dd9bbb387bb3e4448e447f21522ec",
      "reader_fragment": "p-1741-3535-b30b60fd260d1bfc"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-3535-5326:dd1906992510fc63615bca4c2a19a278c333413786511fa342f4275290b16edb",
      "character_start": 3535,
      "character_end": 5326,
      "utf8_byte_start": 3579,
      "utf8_byte_end": 5384,
      "passage_sha256": "dd1906992510fc63615bca4c2a19a278c333413786511fa342f4275290b16edb",
      "reader_fragment": "p-3535-5326-dd1906992510fc63"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-5326-7097:10c42cfdea307052f84817e642baf209b26e6414e92b0ade0ee5fcf16d523373",
      "character_start": 5326,
      "character_end": 7097,
      "utf8_byte_start": 5384,
      "utf8_byte_end": 7161,
      "passage_sha256": "10c42cfdea307052f84817e642baf209b26e6414e92b0ade0ee5fcf16d523373",
      "reader_fragment": "p-5326-7097-10c42cfdea307052"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-7097-8864:a1c109461ca78337ce6f63481456730b78455bd2c9aca29fd0d7b2936ecf5076",
      "character_start": 7097,
      "character_end": 8864,
      "utf8_byte_start": 7161,
      "utf8_byte_end": 8932,
      "passage_sha256": "a1c109461ca78337ce6f63481456730b78455bd2c9aca29fd0d7b2936ecf5076",
      "reader_fragment": "p-7097-8864-a1c109461ca78337"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-8864-10615:d0646851355bed13d3c36cf682db810b98f1f8389d998c8ccfb30c0ad3b176e3",
      "character_start": 8864,
      "character_end": 10615,
      "utf8_byte_start": 8932,
      "utf8_byte_end": 10691,
      "passage_sha256": "d0646851355bed13d3c36cf682db810b98f1f8389d998c8ccfb30c0ad3b176e3",
      "reader_fragment": "p-8864-10615-d0646851355bed13"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-10615-12377:404548b6bca6148731f7e9c93a9b91bd7bb24535791ae779f74a25210b798a7c",
      "character_start": 10615,
      "character_end": 12377,
      "utf8_byte_start": 10691,
      "utf8_byte_end": 12459,
      "passage_sha256": "404548b6bca6148731f7e9c93a9b91bd7bb24535791ae779f74a25210b798a7c",
      "reader_fragment": "p-10615-12377-404548b6bca61487"
    },
    {
      "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-f1dc6618c0f84747:sha256:99b1362e0d0438946afffc80920160a47831f8e35b2ac7bee1a66517e449c4aa:chars-12377-13386:d2f9ff356ac306fbb9156ad192a5119151e10015b5780d15f3bfa42b29886a2a",
      "character_start": 12377,
      "character_end": 13386,
      "utf8_byte_start": 12459,
      "utf8_byte_end": 13474,
      "passage_sha256": "d2f9ff356ac306fbb9156ad192a5119151e10015b5780d15f3bfa42b29886a2a",
      "reader_fragment": "p-12377-13386-d2f9ff356ac306fb"
    }
  ]
}