Punjab Opium Confiscation and Rewards Rules, 1954 Published vide Punjab Notification No. 5685 E&T- 54/2503 dated 10th December 1954 These rules may be cited as the Punjab Opium Confiscation and Rewards Rules, 1954, and shall come into force with immediate effect and shall extend to the whole of the State of Punjab.
1. [All things is regard to which an order is passed under the provisions of the Opium Act (1 of 1878) that they are confiscated shall be delivered to the Chief Judicial Magistrate of the District in which such order is passed.]
2. All confiscated opium shall be sent to the Ghazipur Opium Factory by goods train, freight to pay, in two lots on the 1st June and the 1st December, each year provided that the minimum quantity to be sent shall, as far as possible, be not smaller than 4,670 kilograms and where only a smaller quantity is available the opium need be despatched only once a year.
The Government of Indian have agreed to bear the transport and packing expenses.
The bill for packing charges may be presented separately to the Opium Agent, Ghazipur, who will reimburse to the Government of Punjab in due course through book transfer alongwith the value of the contraband opium at the rate applicable to "Inferior Opium Class B".
[2A. In case of smuggling of opium wherein the opium seized--]
(a) relates to illegal imports or exports which present any doubt in determining their origin, or
(b) is suspected to relate to cases of international character and the quantity of opium thus seized is fifteen kilograms or more, or
(c) though admittedly of India origin the quantity of opium thus seized is fifty kilograms or more, a sample of two kilograms of opium in each case shall be drawn at the time the opium is confiscated and shall be sent to the Chemical Examiner to Government, Punjab.
2B (1) Confiscated capsules of the poppy Papaver somniferum L. whether or not in their original form, crushed or powdered and whether or not juice has been extracted therefrom if not required by the Ayurvedic Unani and Tabi Medical Practitioners licensed in the Punjab to be possessed, for the preparation of the medicines included in their respective systems of medicines, after rescuing the poppy seeds (Khas khas) therefrom, shall, after obtaining the orders of the Deputy Commissioner, in this regard be destroyed by burning in the presence of a gazetted officer of the district concerned.
(2) The poppy seeds (khas khas) thus rescued shall be disposed of in accordance with the orders of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab.
Rewards
3. Rewards in relation to offences under the Opium Act or rules thereunder may be granted to the following persons :-
(i) To an informer after a successful raid or after the result of the trial or appeal where the Deputy Commissioner is satisfied that the case was genuine and its detection took place on the information supplied by him. A statement of the informer shall, however, be recorded by the Officer receiving information before the raid is conducted and it shall be kept in the custody of the Excise and Taxation Officer, who shall verify it at the time of the disbursement of the reward.
(ii) To the Government officers or officials other than of Excise Department who render active assistance to the Excise Department in the detection and conviction of a case. Before paying a reward to a Government Official, the Deputy Commissioner of the district shall ascertain from the head of the Department to which the Government official belong if he has any objection to the payment such reward.
(iii) To the Excise Officers or Officials for conduct displaying extraordinary address, acuteness, industry, fidelity of courage in a case.
4. Rewards may be granted subject to the following provisions :-
(i) The Deputy Commissioner of the district may grant on his own authority rewards not exceeding two hundred rupees in any one case.
(ii) The Excise and Taxation Commissioner may sanction rewards not exceeding one thousand rupees in any one case.
(iii) If rewards exceeding one thousand rupees in any one case are proposed the sanction of the State Government must be obtained through the Excise and Taxation Commissioner.
(iv) If a reward is proposed for any official of the status higher than a Naib-Tahsildar or Sub Inspector of Police of Excise the previous sanction of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner shall be obtained and no reward for a Government servant exceeding in any one case one thousand rupees shall be granted, except after consultation with Finance Department.
5. Any reward payable to any informer whose statement is in the custody of the Excise and Taxation Officer may be disbursed upon the receipt of the Deputy Commissioner, of the district without requiring attendance of the actual payee or a receipt from him.