State of Gujarat - Act
The Gujarat Drugs (Control) Act, 1959
GUJARAT
India
India
The Gujarat Drugs (Control) Act, 1959
Act 11 of 1959
- Published in Bombay Act No. 11 on 9 February 1960
- Not commenced
- [This is the version of this document from 9 February 1960.]
- [Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]
For Statement of Objects and Reasons See Bombay Government Gazette, 1959, Part V, Page 497.An Act to provide for the control, in the interests of the general public, of the sale, possession, transport and use of certain drugs.Whereas it is expedient to provide for the control, in the interests of the general public, of the sale, possession, transport and use of certain drugs, and for certain other purposes; It is hereby enacted in the Tenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:(2)It extends to the whole of the [State of Gujarat.] (3)It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. (a)"Collector" includes any person appointed by the State Government to exercise all or any of the powers, or to perform or discharge all or any of the duties or functions, of a Collector under this Act; (b)"dealer" means a licensed wholesaler, or licensed retailer (c)"Director" means the Director of Prohibition and Excise appointed under the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 (Bombay XXV of 1949), and includes any officer on whom the State Government may confer or impose all or any of the powers, duties or functions of the Director under this Act. (d)"drug" means (i) a medicine for internal or external use of human beings or animals, or (ii) substances intended to be used for or in the treatment, mitigation or prevention of disease in human beings or animals, to which medicine or substances this Act is declared to be applicable under subsection (1) of section 6 ; (e)"household" means a group of persons normally residing and messing jointly as members of one domestic unit, but does not include a servant; (f)"licensed retailer" means a retailer holding a licence under section 7; (g)"licensed wholesaler" means a retailer holding a licence under section 7; (h)"medical practitioner" means a person who practices any system of medicine (including surgery and obstetrics), and is registered in any register, or is entered on any list, maintained under any law for the time being in force which entitles him to practice in the State, or is otherwise by or under any such law entitled or allowed to practice in the State; and includes registered dentist within the meaning of Dentists Act, 1948 (XVI of 1948), and also a registered veterinary practitioner within the meaning of the Bombay Veterinary Practitioners Act, 1953 (Bombay LXVIII of 1953), or any law corresponding thereto in force in any part of the State; (i)"notified drug" means a drug which has been notified by the State Government to be a notified drug under section 6; (j)"prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (k)"prescription" means a prescription issued by a medical practitioner; (l)"retailer" means a person who carries on the business of selling any notified drug otherwise than by wholesale, and does not include a medical practitioner; and the expression "to sell by retail" shall be construed accordingly ; (m)"State" means the [State of Gujarat]; (n)"to transport" means to move, from one place to another, within the State; (o)"wholesaler" means a person who carries on the business of selling any notified drug for the purpose of resale; and the expression "to sell by wholesale" shall be construed accordingly. (2)The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint any person other than the Collector to exercise in any district or place all or any of the powers and perform all or any of the duties and functions as are assigned by or under this Act to a Collector subject to such control, if any, in addition to that of the Director and of the State Government as the State Government may from time to time direct. (2)If the State Government is satisfied that a drug is used in a manner injurious to health, the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify such drug as a notified drug. (2)No medical practitioner shall sell any notified drug unless the drug has been obtained by him from a dealer. (2)A medical practitioner shall not supply any notified drug in his possession to any person for a purpose other than a bona fide medicinal purpose, and except under a prescription issued by him or another medical practitioner. (3)Any prescription issued for the purpose of sub-section (1) or (2) or copies thereof and other records shall be maintained in such manner, and preserved for such period, as may be prescribed. (2)In fixing the maximum quantity of a notified drug which may be possessed under this section the State Government may fix different maxima for the possession of different notified drug, and in respect of their possession by different classes of wholesalers and retailers. (a)being a dealer, shall transport any notified drug, except under a pass granted by an officer duly empowered by the State Government in this behalf (b)being a medical practitioner, shall transport any notified drug in excess of the quantity which he is permitted to possess under the provisions of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 12 ; (c)being a person other than a dealer or medical practitioner, shall transport any notified drug in excess of the quantity which has been at any one time dispensed or sold on prescription for the bona-fide medicinal use of himself or of a member of his household, except under a pass granted by an officer duly empowered by the State Government in this behalf. Provided that, nothing in this section shall apply to:-(a)a traveller entering the State from any place outside it, and possessing a notified drug for bona-fide medicinal use of himself of a member of his household accompanying him; or (b)through transport of any notified drug from a place outside the State [****] to another place outside thereof. (a)any person in charge or management of a hospital or dispensary, to possess or transport, (b)any person in charge of an educational institution, to possess or transport for use for educational purposes only, (c)any person engaged in scientific research, to possess or transport for use for scientific research only, (d)a pilot of an aircraft, to possess or transport for use in an emergency on the aircraft, (e)any person in charge of an ambulance or first-in-aid station or first Aid box, to possess or transport for use in an emergency, (f)a chemist to possess or transport, for use in dispensing as an ingredient of a medicine, (g)any manufacturer of a medicine to possess or transport, for use in the manufacture thereof, any notified drug in such quantity, in such manner, and subject to such conditions as may be specified in such order. (2)Nothing in sub-section (1) shall absolve any person from liability to any punishment under this Act for the unlawful sale, possession or transport of such notified drug. (2)The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, prescribe the other particulars to be contained in such memorandum of sale and counterfoil thereof. (2)If the licence, permit or pass is suspended or cancelled for any reason, the holder thereof shall not be entitled to any compensation for such suspension or cancellation, or to the refund of any fee paid in respect thereof. (3)The Collector may refuse to grant a licence, permit or pass to any person if(a)a licence, permit or pass granted to such person under this Act has been previously suspended or cancelled, or (b)such person has been convicted of any offence punishable under this Act or the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 or under the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1930, or the Drugs Act, 1940. (4)The Collector may also refuse to grant a licence, permit or pass to any firm of which the person referred to in sub-section (3) is a partner, or to any person whom the business of such person has been transferred. (a)give any false information, or (b)refuse to give any information lawfully demanded from him under this Act or the rules or orders made thereunder, or (c)with a view to preventing the disclosure of any information contained therein alter by cancellation, or otherwise destroy, mutilate or deface any book, register, licence, permit, pass or other document. (2)In the event of any breach by the holder of any licence, permit or pass granted under this Act, or by his servants or by any person acting with his express or implied permission on his behalf of any of the terms or conditions of such licence, permit or pass, such holder shall, in addition to the cancellation or suspension of the licence, permit or pass granted to him, be punished, on conviction, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both, unless it is proved that all due and reasonable precautions were exercised by him to prevent any such breach.Any person who commits any such breach shall, whether he acts with or without the permission of the holder of the licence, permit or pass, shall be liable to the same punishment. (2)Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of or that the commission of the offence is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.Explanation: - For the purposes of this section,(a)"company" means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals, and (b)"director" in relation to a firm means a partner in the firm. (a)any notified drug in respect of which the offence has been committed, (b)any notified drug lawfully transported or in the possession of the offender along with, or in addition to, the notified drug in respect of which the offence has been committed, (c)the receptacles, packages and coverings in which any notified drug referred to in clause (a) or clause (b), is found and the other contents, if any, of such receptacles, packages and coverings, and the animals, carts, vessels or other conveyance used in carrying any such notified drug, shall be liable to confiscation. (2)Where an offence under this Act has been committed, and the offender is not known or cannot be found, or where anything liable to confiscation under this Act is found or seized, the Director, Collector or any other officer authorised by the State Government in this behalf may make an inquiry and, if after such inquiry is satisfied that an offence has been committed, may order the thing found or seized to be confiscated:Provided that, no such order shall be made before the expiry of one month from the date of finding or seizure, or without hearing the person, if any, claiming any light thereto and the evidence, if any, which he produces in support of his claim. (3)Where any article found or seized under this section is liable to speedy and natural decay, or if the Court, Director, Collector, or the officer authorised by the State Government in this behalf, is of the opinion that the sale would be for the benefit of the owner, the Court, Director, Collector, or the officer, may at any time direct it to be sold, and the provisions of this section shall apply so far as may be to the net proceeds of the sale:Provided that, in the case of anything liable to speedy and natural decay, the Court or officer concerned may order it to be destroyed if in its or his opinion such order is expedient in the circumstances of the case. (ii)No offence under this Act shall be investigated except by an Inspector appointed under sub-section (1). (a)seize in any open place, or in transit, any notified drug or any other thing which he has reason to believe to be liable to confiscation under this Act; (b)detain and search any person whom he has reason to believe to have committed an offence punishable under this Act, and if such person has any notified drug or any other thing in his possession, which he has reason to believe to be liable to confiscation under this Act, seize it. (2)If such officer finds that the holder of a licence issued under this Act, or a person in the employ of such holder, or acting with his express or implied permission on his behalf, wilfully does, or omits to do, anything which is an offence under this Act, such officer may seize any stock of notified drug in respect of which the offence is committed, and shall forthwith send a report to his official superior for such action as he deems fit. (2)All orders passed by the Collector and the Director shall be appealable to the Director and the State Government, respectively, at any time within ninety days from the date of the order complained of:Provided that, no appeal shall lie against an order passed by the Director on appeal. (3)Subject to the foregoing provisions, in deciding appeals under this section, the Collector and the Director shall follow such procedure as may be prescribed. (a)without reasonable grounds of suspicion enters or searches or causes to be entered or searched, any building, vessel or place; or (b)vexatiously and unnecessarily seizes the property of any person on the pretence of seizing or searching for any notified drug or other article liable to be confiscated under section 24 or of seizing any document or other article liable to seizure under section 28 or 29 ; or (c)vexatiously and unnecessarily detains or searches any person, shall be punished with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. (a)if the plaintiff does not prove that, previously to bringing such action, he has presented all such appeals or applications for revision allowed by or under this Act or by or under any other law for the time being in force, as within the aforesaid period of four months it was possible to present; or (b)in the case of an action for damages, if the tender of sufficient amends has been made before the action was brought, or if after the institution of the action a sufficient sum of money is paid into Court with costs, by or on behalf of the defendant; (a)exempt, subject to such conditions as it may deem fit to impose, any person or class of persons, or any institution, or class of institutions, from the operation of all or any of the provisions of the Act, or any rules or orders made, or any condition of a licence, permit or pass granted, thereunder; (b)prescribe the number of places at which any notified drug specified in such order may be sold in any area; (c)prescribe the procedure to be followed before granting any licence, pass or permit; (d)specify the persons or classes of persons to whom licences or permit or passes under this Act may or may not be granted; (e)issue such other instruction in any matter pertaining to the grant or otherwise of licences, permits or passes under this Act as it may deem proper; (f)prohibit the disposal of any notified drug except in such circumstances and under such conditions, as may be specified in the order; (g)direct the sale of any notified drug to any dealer or class of dealers, and in such quantities as may be specified in the order ; and (h)issue such further directions as appear to it to be necessary or expedient in connection with any order made under this section. (2)In particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:(a)the manner in which prescriptions or copies thereof and other records shall be maintained, and the period for which they shall be preserved, by medical practitioners and licensed retailers, under section 11; (b)prescribing the quantity of notified drug for the purposes of sample under section 16; (c)prescribing the other particulars to be contained in a memorandum of sale under section 17; (d)the manner in which, and conditions subject to which, samples may be taken and the procedure to be followed therefor under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 31; (e)prescribing the procedure to be followed in deciding appeals under section 32; (f)prescribing the number of places at which any notified drug may be sold in any area and the procedure to be followed before granting licences, permits and passes; (g)prescribing the forms of licences, permits or passes granted under the Act, the terms and conditions on which such licences, permits or passes may be granted, the forms of applications for such licences, permits or passes, and the fees payable in respect thereof; (h)the maintenance and preservation by dealers generally, or by any class of dealers of records and accounts of all sale land purchase transactions made by them, or of the stocks of notified drugs in their possession; (i)the furnishing of any such information as may be required with respect to the business or profession carried on by any dealers or any medical practitioner; (j)prescribing the accounts to be maintained and the returns to be submitted by a licence-holder, pass-holder, permit-holder or medical practitioner; (k)the inspection of any books of accounts or other documents relating to notified drugs belonging to or under the control of any dealers or medical practitioners; (l)the regulation or prohibition of the transfer of licences; (m)requiring the entering of the names and addresses, and the taking of signatures of purchasers in the register of sale of any notified drug; (n)the disposal of confiscated articles ; (o)any other matter which is to be or may be prescribed under this Act. (3)The power to make rules under this section shall be subject to the condition of previous publication.Provided that, any such rules may be made without previous publication, if the State Government considers that they should be brought into force at once. (4)All rules made under this Act shall be laid for not less than thirty days before [****] State Legislature as soon as may be after they are made, and shall be subject to such modifications as the State Legislature may make during the session in which they are so laid or the session immediately following. (a)the previous operation of any law so repealed; or anything duly done or suffered thereunder; (b)any right, privilege, obligation or liability already acquired, accrued or incurred under any law so repealed, or (c)any penalty, forfeiture, or punishment incurred in respect of any offence committed against any law so repealed; (d)any investigation, legal proceeding or remedy in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, penalty, forfeiture or punishment as aforesaid, and any such investigation, legal proceeding, or remedy may be instituted, continued or enforced and any such penalty, forfeiture or punishment may be imposed, as if this Act had not been passed: Provided further that, subject to the preceding proviso, anything done or any action taken (including any appointment, notification, order direction, rule or form made or issued, or cash memorandum given) under any law so repealed shall in so far as it is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, be deemed to have been done, taken, made, issued or given under the provisions of this Act and shall continue in force accordingly unless and until it is superseded by anything done or action taken under this Act.