The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Act 2020
The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Act was passed in wake of COVID 19 and was published in the official Gazette of the Punjab (Extraordinary) on Aug 11, 2020. Keeping the deteriorating conditions of global and local economy the act particularly declares Hoarding as a non-bailable offence which shall be tried by the Special Magistrate under 14A of the Criminal Procedure Code in a summary manner as provided in sections 262 to 265 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Whereas a person aggrieved by an order of conviction and sentence under this act may file an appeal before a District and Sessions Judge of the concerned District within thirty days of the said order. Events of hoarding contribute to adversities, in geometric progression, to the people at large, especially in circumstances of partial or complete lock-down. There are 41 articles of hoarding as listed down under Schedule of this Act. The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Act discusses the legal repercussions for any legal person/entity breaching the law. Whereas the Act also lays the percentile as an award for the informer providing evidence of such illegal happening around.