Section 3

In force Act 10 of 1955 As on 16 Oct 2026

Read from the scanned gazette. India Code publishes no text for this Act, so the text below was read from the Government's own scan by machine and split into sections by its numbering. It has not been checked against the page word by word. Where it matters, read the scan. Read the scan.

Act 10 of 1955 Cited by 8 provisions Instruments 12

This is a second copy of a Central Act. India Code files it on Punjab's shelf as well as under Parliament, and the text is the same enactment. Read it at The Essential Commodities Act, 1955, which is the record this site keeps current.

Read from the scanned gazette. India Code publishes no text for this Act, so this text was read from the Government's own scan by machine and split into sections by its numbering. It has not been checked against the page word by word. Where it matters, read the scan. Read the scan.

Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act. Ins. by Act 92 of 1976, s. 2 (w.e.f. 2-9-1976).

Ins. by Act 92 of 1976, s. 2 (w.e.f. 2-9-1976).
Section 3, The Essential Commodities Act (Act 10 of 1955).

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

Referred to by 8

Made under this section, and citing it

12 instruments state that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.

All subordinate legislation

Questions about Section 3

How do I find court cases under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Essential Commodities Act 3, section 3 Essential Commodities Act, section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.

What should I read with Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, and has it changed?

8 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there are 12: most recently TPDS Control order Amendment 2024 in English (2024), then Punjab Targeted Public Distribution System (Licensing and Control) Amendment Order, 2023 (2023), and 10 more.

When was the Essential Commodities Act enacted?

Essential Commodities Act was enacted in 1955 as Act 10 of 1955. India Code records no commencement date for it. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Read from the Government's own scanned gazette with Azure Document Intelligence, then split into sections by their numbering. India Code publishes no text for this Act. The scan itself is mirrored into our own storage and served at /scan/c6de0262-54cc-4b84-adaa-567fdb48b2a4.pdf, so the reading here can be checked against the page it came from without depending on India Code's own copy staying where it is (it was at https://indiacode.gov.in/server/api/core/bitstreams/8f68770d-cd71-40fd-b19e-aa46897c6000/content). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.