Essential Commodities Act, 1955

2. Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, -

[ 3 ( ia ) "Code" means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1973); 3 ]

[ 4 5 ( iia ) "Collector" includes an Additional Collector and such other officer, not below the rank of Sub-Divisional Officer, as may be authorized by the Collector to perform the functions and exercise the powers of the Collector under this Act; 4 ]

(a) "essential commodity" means any of the following classes of commodities

( i ) cattle fodder, including oilcakes and other concentrates,

(ii) coal, including coke and other derivatives,

(iii) component parts and accessories of automobiles;

(iv) cotton and woolen textiles;

[ 6 (iv-a) drugs;

Explanation : In this sub-clause, "drug" has the meaning assigned to it in CI.(b) of Sec. 3 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940); 6 ]

(v) foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils;

(vi) iron and steel, including manufactured products of iron and steel;

(vii) paper, including newsprint, paperboard and straw board;

(viii) petroleum and petroleum products;

(ix) raw cotton, whether ginned or unginned , and cotton seed;

(x) raw jute;

(xi) any other class of commodity which the Central Government may, by notified order, declare to be an essential commodity for the purposes of this Act, being a commodity with respect to which Parliament has power to make laws by virtue of entry 33 in List III in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution;

(b) "food-crops" include crops of sugarcane;

(c) "notified order" means an order notified in the Official Gazette;

[ 7 (cc) "order" includes a direction issued thereunder ; 7 ]

[ 8 (d) "State Government", in relation to a Union territory, means the administrator thereof; 8 ]

[ 9 (e) "sugar" means, -

( i ) any form of sugar containing more than ninety per cent of sucrose, including sugar candy;

(ii) khandsari sugar or bura sugar or crushed sugar or any sugar in crystalline or powdered form; or

(iii) sugar-in-process in vacuum pan sugar factory or raw sugar produced therein; 9 ]

[ 10 * * * 10 ]

[ 11 (f) Words and expressions used but not defined in this Act and defined in the Code shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Code. 11 ]