Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020

jftLVªh lañ Mhñ ,yñ—(,u)04@0007@2003—20 REGISTERED NO. DL—(N)04/0007/2003—20 सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-27092020-222038 xxxGIDHxxx CG-DL-E-27092020-222038 xxxGIDExxx vlk/kkj.k EXTRAORDINARY Hkkx II — [k.M 1 PART II — Section 1 izkf/kdkj ls izdkf'kr PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY lañ 47] ubZ fnYyh] jfookj] flrEcj 27] 2020@ vkf'ou 5] 1942 ¼'kd½ No. 47] NEW DELHI, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2020/ASVINA 5, 1942 (SAKA) bl Hkkx esa fHkUu i`"B la[;k nh tkrh gS ftlls fd ;g vyx ladyu ds :i esa j[kk tk ldsA Separate paging is given to this Part in order that it may be filed as a separate compilation. MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE (Legislative Department) New Delhi, the 27th September, 2020/Asvina 5, 1942 (Saka) The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the 26th September, 2020 and is hereby published for general information:— THE ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2020 NO. 22 OF 2020 [26th September, 2020.] An Act further to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-first Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 1. (1) This Act may be called the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Short title and commencement. (2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 5th day of June, 2020. 10 of 1955. 2. In section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, after sub-section (1), the following Amendment sub-section shall be inserted, namely:— of section 3. ‘(1A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1),— (a) the supply of such foodstuffs, including cereals, pulses, potato, onions, edible oilseeds and oils, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, may be regulated only under extraordinary circumstances which may include war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity of grave nature; 2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY [PART II— SEC. 1] (b) any action on imposing stock limit shall be based on price rise and an order for regulating stock limit of any agricultural produce may be issued under this Act only if there is— (i) hundred per cent. increase in the retail price of horticultural produce; or (ii) fifty per cent. increase in the retail price of non-perishable agricultural foodstuffs, over the price prevailing immediately preceding twelve months, or average retail price of last five years, whichever is lower: Provided that such order for regulating stock limit shall not apply to a processor or value chain participant of any agricultural produce, if the stock limit of such person does not exceed the overall ceiling of installed capacity of processing, or the demand for export in case of an exporter: Provided further that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to any order, relating to the Public Distribution System or the Targeted Public Distribution System, made by the Government under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force. Explanation.—The expression "value chain participant", in relation to any agricultural product, means and includes a set of participants, from production of any agricultural produce in the field to final consumption, involving processing, packaging, storage, transport and distribution, where at each stage value is added to the product.’. Repeal and 3. (1) The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 is hereby repealed. Ord. 8 of 2020. savings. (2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, as amended by the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been 10 of 1955. done or taken under the corresponding provisions of the said Act as amended by this Act.

———— DR. G. NARAYANA RAJU, Secretary to the Govt. of India. UPLOADED BY THE MANAGER, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA PRESS, MINTO ROAD, NEW DELHI–110002 AND PUBLISHED BY THE CONTROLLER OF PUBLICATIONS, DELHI–110054. SUBIR Digitally signed by SUBIR NARAYAN NARAYA Date: GARAI 2020.09.27 N GARAI 17:44:10 +05'30' MGIPMRND—859GI—27-09-2020.