State of Haryana - Act
The Punjab Excise Act, 1914
HARYANA
India
India
The Punjab Excise Act, 1914
Act 1 of 1914
- Published on 1 November 1956
- Commenced on 1 November 1956
- [This is the version of this document from 1 November 1956.]
- [Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]
Chapter I
Preliminary and definitions.
1. Short title.
2. Repeal of enactments.
- The enactments, mentioned in Schedule (1) are repealed to the extent specified in the fourth column thereof.3. Definitions.
- In this Act and the rules made under it unless there is something repugnant in the subject or context :-15. [-] [Clause (15) was omitted by the Punjab Separation of Judicial and Executive Functions Act, 1964 (Punjab Act No. 25 of 1964).]
4. 'Country Liquor' and 'Foreign liquor'.
- The State Government may by notification declare what for the purposes of this Act or any portion thereof shall be deemed to be "country liquor' and "foreign liquor".5. Power of State Government to declare limit of sale by retail and by wholesale.
- The State Government may by notification declare with respect either to the whole of Punjab [Haryana] [See Haryana Adaptation of Laws Order 1968.] or to any local area comprised therein, and as regards purchasers generally or any specified class of purchasers and generally or for any specified occasions the maximum or minimum quantity or both of any intoxicant which for the purposes of this Act may be sold by retail and by whole sale.6. Power to limit application of notifications, permits, etc, made under this Act.
- Where under this Act any notification is made any power conferred, any appointment made or any license, pass or permit granted, it shall be lawful to direct :-7. Saving of enactments.
- Save as provided by the Scheduled I nothing contained in this Act shall effect the provisions of the [See Customs Act, 1887] [See now the Customs Act, 1962.] (VII of 1878) the Cantonments Act, 1910 or the Indian Tariff Act, 1894 or any rule or order made there under.Chapter II
Establishment and Control
8. Superintendence and control of excise administration and excise officers.
9. Excise Commissioner.
- The State Government may by notification appoint an Excise Commissioner and subject to such conditions and restrictions as it may deem fit may invest him with all or any of the powers conferred on the Financial Commissioner by this Act.10. (a) Other classes of excise officers.
- There shall be such other classes of excise officers as the State Government may by notification declare and the State Government may appoint as many person as it deems fit to be excise officers of these classes.11. Power to invest persons with special powers under this Act.
- The State Government may by notification invest any person, not being an excise officer, with power to perform all or any of the functions of an excise officer, under this Act, and such person shall in the exercise of these functions be deemed to be an excise officer.12. Local limits of jurisdiction.
- The jurisdiction of the Financial Commissioner and of the Excise Commissioner shall extend to Punjab [Haryana] [Substituted by Haryana Adaptation of Laws Order 1968.] the jurisdiction of Commissioners shall extend to their divisions and the jurisdiction of Collectors and other excise officers shall unless, the State Government shall otherwise direct, extend to the districts in which they are for the time being employed.13. Delegation.
14. Appeal.
- An appeal shall lie from an original or appellate order of any excise officer in such cases or classes of cases and to such authority as the State Government shall by notification declare.15. [ Revision and review. [Substituted by Punjab Act 8 of 1965, Section 2.]
Chapter III
Import, Export, and Transport
16. Import, export and transport of intoxicants.
- No intoxicant shall be imported, exported or transported except :-17. Power of State Government to prohibit import, export and transport of intoxicants.
- The State Government may by notification -18. Passes necessary for import, export and transport.
- Except as otherwise provided by any rule made under this Act, no intoxicant exceeding such quantity as the State Government may prescribe by notification shall be imported, exported or transported except under a pass issued under the provisions of the next following section :Provided that in the case of duty paid foreign liquor such passes shall be dispensed with unless the State Government shall by notification otherwise direct :Provided further, that on such conditions as may be determined by the Financial Commissioner, a pass granted under the excise Law in force in another State may be deemed to be a pass granted under this Act.19. Grant of passes for import, export and transport.
- Passes for the import, export and transport of intoxicants may be granted by the Collector.Provided that passes for the import and export of such intoxicant as the Financial Commissioner may from time to time determine shall be granted only by the Financial Commissioner.Chapter IV
Manufacture, Possession, Sale Purchase and Consumption
A. Manufacture20. Manufacture of intoxicants prohibited except under the provisions of this Act.
21. Establishment or licensing of distilleries and breweries.
- The Financial Commissioner, subject to such restriction or condition as the State Government may impose may, -(a)establish a distillery in which spirit may be manufactured under a licence granted under Section 20.(b)discontinue any distillery so established.(c)licence the construction and working of a distillery or brewery.(d)make rule regarding -22. Establishment or licensing of warehouses.
- The Financial Commissioner, subject to such restrictions or conditions as the State Government may impose, may:-23. Removal of intoxicants from the distillery etc.
- No intoxicant shall be removed from any distillery, brewery, warehouse or other place of storage, established or licensed under this Act, unless the duty if any (payable under Chapter V) has been paid or a bond has been executed for the payment thereof.B. Possession24. Possession of intoxicants.
25. Prohibition of possession of intoxicant unlawfully manufactured, imported etc.
- No person shall have in his possession any quantity of any intoxicant knowing the same to have been unlawfully imported, transported, manufactured, cultivated or collected or knowing the prescribed duty not to have been paid thereon.C - Sale, Purchase or Consumption26. [Prohibition of purchase, sale and consumption of intoxicants.] [Heading substituted vide Haryana Act No. 22 of 1996.]
- No liquor shall be bottled for sale and no intoxicant shall be sold except under the authority and subject to the terms and conditions of a licence granted in that behalf provided that-27. Grant of lease of manufacture etc.
28. Manufacture and sale of liquor in military Cantonments.
- Within the limits of any military cantonment and within such distance from those limits as the Central Government in any case may prescribe, no licence for the manufacture or sale of liquor and no lease of the retail vend of liquor, such as is described in Section 27, shall be granted unless with the consent of the Commanding Officer.29. Prohibition of sale to persons under the age twenty-five years.
- No licensed vendor and no person in the employ of such vendor or acting on his behalf shall sell or deliver any liquor or intoxicating drug to any person apparently under the age of twenty-five years whether for consumption by such person or by another person and whether for consumption on or off by the premises of such vendor.30. Prohibition of employment of men under the age of twenty-five years and of women.
- No person who is licensed to sell any liquor or intoxicating drug for consumption on his premises shall during the hours in which such premises are kept open for business, employ or permit to be employed either with or without remuneration any man under the age of 25 years or any women in any part of such premises in which such liquor or intoxicating drug is consumed by the public.Chapter V
Duties and Fees
31. Duty on excisable articles.
- An excise duty or a countervailing duty as the case may be at such rate or rates as the State Government shall direct, may be imposed either generally or for any specified local area, on any excisable article.32. Manner in which duty may be levied.
- Subject to such rules regulating the time, place and manner as the Financial Commissioner may prescribe, such duty shall be levied rateably, on the quantity of excisable article imported, exported, transported, collected or manufactured in or issued from a distillery brewery or warehouse:Provided that duty may be levied :-33. Payment for grant of leases.
- Instead of or in addition to any duty leviable under this chapter the State Government may accept payment of a sum in consideration of the lease of any right under Section 27.33A. Saving for duties being levied at commencement of the Constitution.
Chapter VI
Licences, Permit and Passes
34. Fees for terms, conditions and form of, and duration of licences, permits and passes.
35. Grant of licence for sale.
36. Power to cancel or suspend licences, etc.
- Subject to such restrictions as the State Government may prescribe, the authority granting any licence, permit or pass under this Act may cancel or suspend it.37. Power to cancel any other license.
- When a license, permit, or pass held by any person is cancelled under clause (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of section 36, the authority aforesaid may cancel any other license, permit or pass granted to such person by or by the authority of the State Government, within the same district under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force relating to excise revenue or under the Opium Act, 1878, and the Financial Commissioner may cancel any such license, permit or pass granted to such person in any district to which this act applies.38. Power to recover fee.
- In the case of cancellation or suspension of license under clause (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of Section 36, the fee payable for the balance of the period for which any license would have been current but for such cancellation or suspension, may be recovered from the ex-licensee as excise revenue.39. Power of collector to take grants under management or to resell.
- If any holder of a license granted under this Act, or any person to whom a lease has been granted under Section 27, makes default in complying with any condition imposed upon him by such license or lease, the collector may take the grant under the management at the risk of the person who has so defaulted or may resell it and recover in the manner laid down in Section 60 of this Act any deficiency in price and all expenses of such resale.40. No compensation or refund claimable for cancellation or suspension of license, etc. under this section.
- When a license permit or pass is cancelled or suspended under clause (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of Section 36 or under Section 37 the holder shall not be entitled to any compensation for its cancellation or suspension nor to the refund of any fee paid or deposit made in respect thereof.41. Powers to withdraw licences.
42. Technical irregularities in license etc.
- No license, permit or pass granted under this Act shall be deemed to be invalid by reason merely of any technical defect, irregularity or omission in the license or in any proceedings taken prior to the grant thereof.43. No claim in consequence of refusal to renew a license etc.
- No person to whom a license permit or pass may have been granted shall be entitled to claim any renewal thereof and no claim shall lie for damages or otherwise in consequence of any refusal to renew a license, permit or pass on the expiry of the period for which it remains in force.44. Surrender of license.
45. Power to enter and inspect places of manufacture and sale.
- Any excise officer not below such rank as the State Government may prescribe to:-46. Power of Excise Officers to investigate offences punishable under this Act.
47. Powers of arrest, seizure and detention.
- Any officer of the excise, police, salt, or land revenue department, not below such rank and subject to such restrictions as the State Government may prescribe, any other person duly empowered by notification by the State Government in this behalf, may arrest without warrant any person found committing an offence punishable, under Section 61, or Section 63, and may seize and detain any intoxicant or other article which he has reason to believe to be liable to confiscation under this Act or other law for the time being in force relating to excise revenue; and may detain and search any person upon whom, and any vessel, raft, vehicle, animal, package, receptacle or covering in or upon which he may have reasonable cause to suspect any such article to be.48. Power of Magistrate to issue warrant for search or arrest.
- A Magistrate having reason to believe that an offence under Section 61 or 63, has been, is being or is likely to be committed, may :-49. Powers of Excise Officer to search without warrant.
49A. Power of excise officer to obtain information.
50. Procedure relating to arrests, searches etc.
- Save as in this Act otherwise expressly provided, the provisions of the [Code of Criminal Procedure 1898] [See now Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.] relating to arrests, detentions in custody, searches, summonses warrants of arrests, search warrants, production of persons arrested and investigation of offences shall be held to be applicable to all actions taken in these respects under this Act, provided that :-51. Police to aid excise officer.
- All police officers are required to aid the excise officers in the due execution of this Act, upon request made by such excise officers.52. Duty of landholders and others to give information.
53. Duty of officer incharge of police station to take charge of articles seized.
- Every officer incharge of a police station shall take charge of and keep in safe custody, pending the orders of a Magistrate, or of the Collector or of an officer empowered under Section 46(1) to investigate the case, all articles seized under this Act which may be delivered to him, and shall allow any excise officer who may accompany such articles to the police station, or may be deputed for the purpose by his superior officer to affix his seal to the articles and to take samples of and from them. All samples so taken shall also be sealed with the seal of the officer incharge of the police station.54. Power to close shops for the sake of public peace.
Chapter VIII
General Provisions
55. Measures weights and testing instruments.
- Every person who manufactures or sells any intoxicant under a license granted under this Act shall be bound;56. Power of State Government to exempt intoxicants from the provision of the Act.
- The [State] Government may by notification, either wholly of partially and subject to such conditions as it may think fit to prescribe, exempt any intoxicant from all or any of the provisions of this Act.[57. Bar of suits. - (1) No suit or other proceedings shall be entertained or continued in any civil court against withdrawal or amendment of a licence, permit and pass for any damages, remission or compensation on the ground that any loss is sustained by the withdrawal or amendment thereof.57A. Fixation of price of intoxicant to be sold by distilleries.
58. Power of State Government to make Rules.
59. Powers of Financial Commissioner to make rules.
- The Financial Commission may, by notification, make rules.60. Recovery of dues.
Chapter IX
Offences and Penalties
[61. [Penalty for unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture and possession etc.] [Section 61 Substituted vide Haryana Act 20 of 1998.] - (1) Whoever, in contravention of any section of this Act or any rule, notification issued or given thereunder or order made, or of any license, permit or pass granted under this Act -(a)[ imports, exports, transports, manufactures, collects, or possesses any intoxicant; or [Clause (a) substituted by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.](aa)imports, exports, transports or possesses any intoxicant other than liquor;(aaa)imports, exports, transports or possesses liquor up to 120 bottles of 750 millilitres or equivalent quantity and who does not get the offence compounded under sub-section (4) of section 80; or](b)constructs or works any distillery [or brewery; or] [Substituted for 'brewery;' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.](c)uses, keeps or has in his possession any materials, still, utensil, implement or apparatus whatsoever for the purpose of manufacturing any intoxicant other than tari,shall be punishable for every such offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine up to [two thousand rupees] [Substituted for the words 'two thousand rupees' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] :Provided that in the case of an offence of possession of -(i)a working still for the manufacture of any intoxicant, such imprisonment shall not be less than six months and such fine shall not be less than [two thousand] [Substituted for 'two thousand' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] rupees;(ii)lahan, such imprisonment shall not be less than three months and such fine shall not be less than [one thousand] [Substituted for 'one thousand' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] rupees;(iii)country liquor manufactured otherwise than in licensed distillery in a quantity not exceeding [ten] [Substituted for 'ten' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] bottles, each bottle containing up to 750 millilitres, such imprisonment shall not be less than three months and such fine shall not be less than [five hundred rupees] [Substituted for 'five hundred rupees' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] and in a quantity exceeding [ten] [Substituted for 'ten' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] bottles of the aforesaid capacity, such imprisonment shall not be less than six months and such fine shall not be less than [one thousand] [Substituted for 'one thousand' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] rupees;(iv)foreign liquor other than -(a)manufactured in a licensed distillery or brewery in India; or(b)imported into India on which customs duty is leviable under the Indian Tariff Act, 1934, or the Customs Act, 1962;in a quantity not exceeding [ten] [Substituted for 'ten' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] bottles, each bottle containing up to 750 millilitres such imprisonment shall not be less than three months and such fine shall not be less than [five hundred rupees] [Substituted for 'five hundred' by Haryana No. 4 of 2001.] and in a quantity exceeding [ten] [Substituted for 'ten' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] bottles of the aforesaid capacity such imprisonment shall not be less than six months and such fine shall not be less than Substituted for [one thousand] [Substituted for 'one thousand' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] rupees.61A. [ * * *] [Section 61A and 61B added by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001 & omitted by Haryana Act No. 19 of 2002.]
61B. [ * * *] [Section 61A and 61B added by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001 & omitted by Haryana Act No. 19 of 2002.]
62. Penalty for unlawful selling to person under twenty five or employing them or women.
- If any licensed vendor, or any person in his employ or acting on his behalf :-63. [ Penalty for rendering or attempting to render denatured spirit fit for human consumption. [Substituted by Haryana Act No. 22 of 1996.]
- Whoever renders or attempts to render fit for human consumption any spirit whether manufactured in India or not which has been denatured or has in his possession any spirit rendered fit for human consumption in respect of which he knows or has reasons to believe that any such attempt has been made, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months and more than three years and with a minimum fine of five thousand rupees and a maximum fine upto ten thousand rupees.]63A. [ Penalty for possession of unused and printed labels, corks etc. in contravention of Section 24-A. [Inserted by Punjab Act 31 of 1963, Section 3.]
- Whoever in contravention of the provisions of Section 24-A has in his possession any unused and printed label, cork, capsule or seal or an imitation there of, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and with fine.]64. Penalty for fraud by licensed manufacturer or vendor or his servant.
- If any licensed manufacturer or licensed vendor or any person in his employ or acting on his behalf;65. Penalty for certain acts by license or his servant.
- Whoever being the holder of a license, permit or pass granted under this Act or being in the employ of such holder or acting on his behalf:-66. Penalty for consumption in chemists shops etc.
67. Manufacture, sale or possession by one person on account of another.
68. Penalty for offences not otherwise provided for.
- Whoever is guilty of any act or intentional omission in contravention of any of the provisions of this Act; or of any rule, notification or order made, issued or given, thereunder and not otherwise provided for in this Act, shall be punishable for every such act or omission with a fine may extend to [two hundred] [Substituted for 'two hundred' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.] rupees.68A. [ Enhanced punishment for certain offences after previous conviction. [Substituted vide Haryana Act No. 12 of 1997.]
- Whoever having been convicted for an offence punishable under sub-section (1) of section 61 and section 63 of this Act is again convicted of an offence punishable under the said sections shall, -69. Attempt to commit offences punishable under the Act.
- Whoever attempts to commit or abets any offence punishable under this Act shall be liable to the punishment provided for the offence.69A. Security for abstaining from commission of certain offences.
70. Penalty for excise officer making vexatious, search, etc.
- If an excise officer-71. Report by investigation officer for institution of proceedings.
- If on an investigation by an excise officer, empowered under Section 46 sub-section (1), it appears that there is sufficient evidence to justify the prosecution of the accused, the investigating officer unless he submits the case for the orders of the Collector under Section 80, shall submit a report which shall for the purposes of Section 190 of the [Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898] [Substituted for '1898' by Haryana Act No. 4 of 2001.], be deemed to be a police report to a Magistrate having jurisdiction to enquiry into or try the case and empowered to take cognizance of offences on police reports.72. [ Offences to be bailable. [Substituted vide Haryana Act No. 20 of 1998.]
- All offences, punishable under this Act shall be bailable within the meaning of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 :Provided that the offence of possession of a working still for the manufacture of any intoxicant under section 61(1) and Section 63 shall be non-bailable.]73. Security for appearance in case of arrest without warrant.
- The State Government may empower any excise officer to grant bail notwithstanding that such officer is not empowered under Section 46.74.
Repealed.75. Cognizance of offences.
76. Presumption as to commission of offence in certain cases.
- When ever any person is found in possession of :-76A. Presumption as to commission of offence in prosecution under Section 63 of the Act.
- In prosecution under Section 63, it shall be presumed without further evidence, until the contrary is proved, that the accused person has committed an offence under that section in respect of any denatured spirit which has been or attempted to be rendered fir for human consumption.77. Liability of employer for offence committed by employee or Agent.
- The holder of a license, permit or pass under this Act as well as the actual offender, shall be liable to punishment, of any offence punishable under Section 61, Section 62, Section 63, Section 63-A, Section 64 or Section 65, committed by any person in his employ or acting on his behalf as if he had himself committed the same, unless he shall establish that all due and reasonable precautions were exercised by him to prevent the commission of such offence.Provided that no person other than the actual offender shall be punished with imprisonment except in default of payment of fine.78. Confiscation of article in respect of which offence committed.
79. Further provisions for confiscation.
- When there is reason to believe that an offence under this Act has been committed, but the offenders is not known or cannot be found and when any thing or animal liable to confiscation under this Act and not in the possession of any person cannot be satisfactorily accounted for the case shall be enquired into and determined by the collector, who may order confiscation :Provided that no such order shall be made until the expiration of one month from the date of seizing the thing or animal in question or without hearing the person (if any) claiming any right thereto, and the evidence (if any) which he produces in support of the claim:Provided further, that if the thing in question is liable to speedy and natural decay, or if the collector is of opinion that the sale of the thing or animal in question would be for the benefit of its owner, the collector may at any time direct it to be sold; and provisions of this section shall, so far as may be, apply to the net proceeds of such sale.80. Power of excise officers to compound offences.
80A. [ Compounding of offence by Court. [Substituted vide Haryana Act No. 2 of 1999.]
- The court may accept by way of composition from any person who has during the period from 1st July, 1996 to 31st March, 1998, -consumed liquor or beer a sum of rupees one hundred per offence; orsold, purchased possessed, imported or exported quantity of liquor or beer specified in column 1 and the amount of composition fee specified in column 2 of the Table given below :-| Quantity | Amount of composition fee |
| 1 | 2 |
| (i) not exceeding four bottles of liquor or 750 millilitrescapacity each or equivalent | rupees one hundred per bottle ofliquor or part thereof |
| (ii) not exceeding twelve bottles of beer of 650 millilitrescapacity each or equivalent | rupees fifty per bottle of beeror part thereof |
| (iii) exceeding four bottles of liquor but not exceedingeight bottles of 750 millilitres capacity each equivalent or | rupees one hundred and fifty perbottle of liquor or part thereof over four bottles |
| (iv) exceeding twelve bottles of beer but not exceedingtwenty four bottles of 650 millilitres capacity each orequivalent | rupees seventy five per bottle ofber or part thereof over twelve bottles |
| (v) exceeding eight bottles of liquor but not exceedingtwelve bottles of 750 millilitres capacity each or equivalent | rupees two hundred per bottle ofliquor or part thereof over eight bottles |
| (vi) exceeding twenty four bottles of beer but not exceedingthirty six bottles of 650 millilitres capacity each orequivalent | rupees one hundred per bottle ofbeer or part thereof over twenty four bottles |