 the essential commodities (amendment) bill, 1957 (as introduced in lok sabha) bill, 1957 (as introduced in lok sabha) a billfurther to amend the essential commodities act, 1955 be it enacted by parliament in the eighth year of the republic of india as follows:-1 this act may be called the essential commodities (amend- short title ment) act, 1957 10 of i9ss 5 2 in section 3 of the essential commodities act, 1955, after sub- amendment section (3), the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely:- of section 3 "(3a) (i) if the central government is of opinion that it is necessary so to do for con trolling the rise in prices, on preventing the hoarding, of any foodstuff in any locality, it may, 10 by notification in the official gazette, direct that notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), the price at which the foodstuff shall be sold in the locality in compliance with an order made with reference to clause (f) of sub-section (2) shall be regulated in accordance with the provisions of this sub-is section (ii) any notification issued under this sub-section shall remain in force for such period not exceeding three months as may be speclfled in the notification (iii) where, after the issue of a notification under this subsection, any person sells foodstuff of the kind specified therein and in the locality so specified, in compliance with an order made with reference to clause (f) of sub-~ection (2), there shall be paid to the seller as the price therefor-s (4) where the price can, consistently with the controlled price of the foodstuff, if any, fixed under this section, be agreed upon, the agreed price; (b) where no such agreement can be reached, the price calculated with reference to the controlled price, if any; 10 (c) where neither clause (4) nor clause (b) applies, the price calculated with reference to the average market rate prevailing in the locality during the period of three months immediately preceding the date of the notification (iv) for the purposes of sub-clause (c) of clause (iii), the is average market rate prevailing in the locality shall be determined by an officer authorised by the central government in this behalf, with reference to the prevailing market rates for which published figures are available in respect of that locality or of a neighbouring looolity; and the average market rate so 20 determined shall be final and shall not be called in ~uestion in any court"  statement of objects and reasonsunder clause (f) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the essential commodities act, 1955, the central government can direct a person holding stocks of food· grains to sell the whole or a specified part of it to any person or class of persons under sub-section (3) of the said section, the person holding the stocks is required to be paid the price for the food grains at the market rate prevailing in the locality at the date of the sale, if there is no controlled price in force at the time at present, there is no control of prices in any part of the country in a rising market, the presen,t provisions of the act do not discourage hoarding as the stockists can at any time obtain the prevailing market price on the date of issue of orders by the central government directing them to sell the stocks 2 in view of the present high level of prices, it is considered necessary, in order to discourage hoarding and to prevent undue profiteering by the traders, to alter this provision it is proposed that in the absence of a controlled price, the stockist should be entitled to receive the average market rate prevailing in the locality during the period of three months preceding the date of the issue of the notification applying the new provisions, and not the market rate prevailing on the date of sale  - new delm; the 29th may 1957  extracts from the essential commod1tij's act, 1955 (no 10 or 1955)   - powerol to 3 (1) if the central government is of opinion that it is necessary contr prodi d f    in 1· f duction, 8up- or expe ent so to 0 or mamtammg or mcreas g supp les 0 any ~ly, di8tribur essential commodity or for securing their equitable distribution and tlon, etc, 0 ·1 bi!· f·  b d ·d fo gulat· esgential aval a lty at 8lr pnces, it may, y or er, prevl e r re  mg commodities or prohibiting the production, supply and distribution thereof and trade and commerce therein (2) without prejudice to the ,generality of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), an order made thereunder may provide-:--(a) for regulating by licences, permits or otherwise the production or manufacture of any essential corrunodity; (b) for bringing under cultivation any waste or arable land, whether appurtenant to a building or not, for the growing thereon of food-crops generally or of specified food-crops, and for otherwise maintaining or increasing the cultivation of foodcrops generally, or of specified food-crops; (c) for controlling the price at which any essential commodity may be bought or sold; - (d) for regulating by licences, permits or otherwise the storage, transport, distribution, disposal, acquisition, use or consumption of, any essential commodity; (e) for prohiblting the withholding from sale of any essential commodity ordinarily kep} for sale; (f) for requiring any person holding in stock any essential commodity to sell the whole or a specified part of the stock to such person or class of persons and in such circumstances as may be specified in the order; (g) for regulating or prohibiting any class of commercial or financial transactions relating to foodstuffs or cotton textiles which, in the oplnioll of the authority making the order, are, or if unregulated, are likely to be, detrimental to the public interest; (h) tor collecting any information or statistics with a view to regulating or prohibiting any of the aforesaid matters; (i) for requiring persons engaged in the production, supply or distribution of, or trade and commerce in, any essential commodity to maintain and produce for inspection such books, accounts and records relating to their business and to furnish such information relating thereto, as may be specified in the order; (j) for any incidental and supplementary matters, including in particular the entering and search of premises, vehicles, vessels and aircraft, the seizure by a person authorised to make luch search of any articles in respect of which such person has ~eason to believe that a contravention of the order has been, is being, or is about to be committed, the grant or issue of licences, permits or other documents, and the charging of fees therefor (3) where any person sells any essential commodity in compliance with an order made with reference to clause (i) of sub-section (2), there shall be paid to him the price therefor as hereinafter provided:-(a) where the price can, consistently with the controlled price, if any, fixed under this section, be a~eed upon, the agreed price; (b) where no such agreement can be reached, the price calculated with reference to the controlled price, if any; (c) where neither clause (a) nor clause (b) applies, the price calculated at the market rate prevailing in the locality at the date of al  a bill further to amend the essential commodities act, 1955 -- (sari ajit prasad !latt!, minister of food and agriculture) 