 bid ne78of 1987 the essential commodities (special provisions) continuance bill, 1987 a billto continue the es8ential commodities (special provisions) act, 1981 jor a further period be it enacted by parliament in the thirty-eighth year of the republic of india as follows:-1 this act may be called the eas~tial commodities (special pro-short visions)' continuance act; uj87 title 18 of 1981 sa in paragraph 2 of the preamble to the essential commodities amend· (special provisions) act, 1981 (hereinafter referred to as the principal rnent of act), for the words "five years", the words "ten years" shall be substj~ preamble tuted   3 in ection 1 of the priaejpal aet, in u  seetion (3), for the wordi amend· 10 ··ftve years", the wonls uten years" shall be substituted idiiillt of section 1  statement of objects and reasonsthe essential commodities act, 1955 (1955 act) provides for re!ulation of production, supply and pricing of essential commodities this act had been amended from time to time to make its provisions more effective 2 with a view to dealing more effectively with persons indulging in anti-social activities like hoarding and black marketing and the evil of vicious inflationary prices, the essential commodities (special provisions) act, 1981, was enacted by parliament the said act made special provisions by way of amendments to the 1955 act for a temporary period of five years these provisions related inter alia to:-(i) the trial in a summary way, of au offences under the 1955 act; (ii) the constitution, for the purposes of such trial, of special courts, consisting of a singje judge who shall be appointed by a high court and who shall be a person who is qualified to be a judge of a high court or who is or has been a sessions judge or an additional sessions judge for not less than one year; (iii) providing minimum mandatory imprisonment for a period of not less than three months for all offences except an offence of abetment in regard to procuring of food stuffs or drugs by persons for their own use or for the use of any member of their family, and not for the purpose of carrying on any business or trade which is punishable with fine only; (iv) providing for enbancementof tbetenn of imprisonment awardable in case of ~onvictioft in a summlry trial from one year to two years; (v) making of all offences under the 1955 act to be non-bailable; (vi) providing for stricter provisions for grant of bail and making it obligatory on the part of the courts to give an opportunity-to the prosecution to oppose the bail application 3 tb~ provisions of the essential commodities (special provisions) act, 1981 (18 of 1981), were brought into force on the 1st day of september, 1982, in all the states and union territories except the states of arunachal pradesh and mizoram and the union territories of andaman and nicobar islands, dadra and nagar haveli, and lakshadweep the aaid provisions will cease to have effect on the expiry of five years from the said date in au the states altd union territories where they have been brought into force 4 the reasons for which the ~bove mentioned special provisions were enaeted and brought into force still continue to exist the question of their continuance has, therefore, been considered in consultation with all the states and union territories who are of the view that the said provisions have proved very useful and effective and should continue in force it is, therefore, proposed to continue the provisions of the essential commodities (special provisions) act, 1981, for a further period of five years with effect from the 1st day ot september, 1987 5 the bill seeks to achieve the above object new deuu; the 10th august, 1987 h k l bhagat clause 3 of the bill seeks to extend the period of operation of the special provisions made by the essential commodities (special provisions) act, 1981, by way of amendments in the essential commodities act, 1955, for a further period of five years with effect from the 1st day of september, 1987 'the special courts already established under section 12a of the essential commodities act, 1955, will, therefore, continue and other special courts may also be established in the next five years the expenditure on such courts in the union ter;ritories which do not have their own consolidated funds will have to be met by the central government it is estimated that the recurring expenditure on each special court towards salary, allowances and other dharges would he ablout rupees two lakhs per annum and towards non-recurring expenditure about rupees one lakh for the first year, in respect of union territories which do not have their own consolidated funds 2 there will be no other recurring or non-recurring expenditure  extracts from the essential c0mj400mes (special provisions) acr, 1981(18 of 1981) - - - - - whereas for ensuring the availability of essential commodities at fair prices, it is necessary to curb the hoarding and black marketing nf, and profiteering in, such commodities; and whereas for dealing more effectively with persons indulging in such anti-social activities and the evil of vicious infiationary prices, it is necessary to make certain special provisions by way of amendments to 10 of 1955 the essential commodities act, 1955, for a period of five years; - - - - - 1 (1) - - - - - short tiue, commeacement and duration 100f 1897 (3) it shall cease to have effect on the expiry of five years from the date of commencement of this af;t except as respects things done  or omitted to be done before such cesser of operation of this act, and section 6 of the general clauses act, 1897, shall apply upon such cesser of operation of this act as if it had then been repealed by a central act - - - - -  a billto continue the essential commodities (special provisions) act, 1981 for a' further period   , (shri h k l bhagat, minute, of parliamentary affairs and minilte, cd food and c~vil suppl~b)  