Essential Commodities Protection Act, 2012

What does it do?

• Despite its name, this Act protects essential public infrastructure, not goods in shops. 'Essential things' are telegraph and telephone lines, ropeways and railways, highways, main roads and bridges, sewers and drainage pipelines, and drinking-water sources built by or with permission of the government. The list also covers electricity and power-generating equipment, weather and hydrology stations, airports and their communication and navigation equipment, petrol pumps and fuel depots, public rest houses (pati, pauwa, sattal), and anything else the government names by notice in the Nepal Gazette. The Act applies throughout Nepal.नामले जे बुझाए पनि यो ऐनले बजारका उपभोग्य वस्तु होइन, सार्वजनिक पूर्वाधारको संरक्षण गर्छ। ‘आवश्यक वस्तु’ भन्नाले टेलिग्राफ र टेलिफोन, रोपवे र रेलवे, राजमार्ग, मूल बाटो र पुल, ढल र निकासको पाइपलाइन, सरकार वा सरकारको इजाजतमा बनेका खानेपानीका मुहान बुझिन्छ। बिजुली र विद्युत् उत्पादन उपकरण, मौसम तथा जलस्रोत स्टेसन, हवाई अड्डा र त्यसका सञ्चार तथा पथप्रदर्शक उपकरण, पेट्रोल पम्प र फ्युल डिपो, सार्वजनिक पाटीपौवा र सत्तल, तथा नेपाल सरकारले राजपत्रमा सूचना प्रकाशित गरी तोकेका अन्य वस्तु पनि यसमा पर्छन्। ऐन नेपालभर लागू हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 1–2, pp. 2–3
• No one may tamper with, pull out, damage or steal essential things, or have others do so. Offenders face the punishment under the general law plus recovery of the value of the loss and a matching fine. A person authorised by the owner to build or repair is not liable except for theft, and accidental damage reported promptly to the nearest government office is not an offence, though the loss must still be paid. Residents who collude with, help, hide or shield offenders, and anyone who knowingly buys, sells or keeps stolen materials, get the same punishment. Someone caught in the act, with no earlier conviction, gets one year's imprisonment.कसैले पनि आवश्यक वस्तुमा हात हाल्न, झिक्न, बिगार्न वा चोर्न, वा अरूलाई लगाउन हुँदैन। गरेमा प्रचलित कानूनबमोजिमको सजायमा थप बिगो भराई बिगोबमोजिम दण्ड जरिवाना हुन्छ। बनाउन वा मर्मत गर्न धनीबाट अधिकार पाएको व्यक्तिलाई चोरीबाहेक अरूमा बात लाग्दैन; भवितव्यबाट नोक्सानी भई तुरुन्त नजिकको सरकारी कार्यालयमा खबर गरेमा कसूर मानिँदैन, तर नोक्सानी तिर्नैपर्छ। चोर बदमासलाई मद्दत गर्ने, लुकाउने वा जोगाउने बासिन्दा तथा चोरीको माल जानीजानी किन्ने, बेच्ने वा राख्नेलाई पनि उही सजाय हुन्छ। काम गर्दागर्दै वा मौकामै पक्राउ परेको र पहिले सजाय नपाएको व्यक्तिलाई एक वर्ष कैद हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 3–4, 7–8, pp. 3–5
• Everyone must look after essential things. Where they are repeatedly lost, stolen or damaged in an area, the nearest rural municipality or municipality, or the administrative officer, must organise watch and guard duty. Police from head constable upward and army officers may use weapons, including firing, to arrest an offender who resists or tries to flee, as far as possible below the knee, and officials are not liable if the person dies.आवश्यक वस्तुको हेरचाह सबैले गर्नुपर्छ। कुनै इलाकामा आवश्यक वस्तु बारम्बार हराएमा, चोरिएमा वा क्षति पुगेमा नजिकको गाउँपालिका वा नगरपालिका वा प्रशासन अधिकृतले पालो पहराको प्रबन्ध गर्नुपर्छ। पक्राउ गर्न खोज्दा जबरजस्ती गर्ने वा भाग्न खोज्ने कसूरदारलाई प्रहरी हेड कन्स्टेबल वा माथिका अधिकृत र सेनाका अधिकृतले भरसक घुँडामुनि हतियार चलाई वा गोली हानी पक्राउ गर्नुपर्छ; यसरी पक्राउ गर्दा मानिस मरेमा पनि सम्बन्धित कर्मचारीलाई बात लाग्दैन। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 5–6, p. 4
• Cases under the Act are heard by the Chief District Officer, with appeal to the District Court. Matters the Act does not cover follow other laws.यस ऐनअन्तर्गतको मुद्दा प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीले हेर्छन् र त्यसउपर जिल्ला अदालतमा पुनरावेदन लाग्छ। ऐनमा नलेखिएका कुरा अरू प्रचलित कानूनबमोजिम हुन्छन्। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 9–10, p. 5

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

None documented in the official reports we have reviewed so far.

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.