(1) Any person desiring to possess opium for purposes of personal oral consumption on medical grounds only shall make an application for a permit to the Chief Medical Officer.
(2) On receipt of an application under sub-rule (1), the Chief Medical Officer shall make such enquiries as he deems necessary and if he is satisfied that there is no objection to the grant of the permit applied for he may, subject to the orders of the Excise Commissioner, if any, grant the applicant a permit in form O.P. 1. on payment of a fee of one rupee:
Provided that no such permit shall be granted -
(i) except on the recommendation of the Medical Board or the Medical Officer, as the case may be, appointed on that behalf ;
(ii) to a person who was not registered as an opium addict under the Punjab Opium) (Restriction on Oral Consumption) Rules 1956 and if registered was not receiving supplies of opium regularly.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (2), the Excise Commissioner or the Officer empowered by him in this behalf may authorise the Chief Medical Officer concerned to permit, in form O.P.1. on payment of a fee of one rupee for the possession on medical grounds of such minimum quantity of opium as he may think proper in each case, to such opium addicts who could not get themselves registered under the Punjab Opium (Restriction on Oral Consumption) Rules, 1956 and regarding whom the Chief Medical Officer certifies the opium is essential for their life :
Provided that no such permit shall be granted to a person who does not explain the reason for not getting himself registered under the said rules to the satisfaction of Chief Medical Officer.
4A. Notwithstanding anything contained in rule 3 an opium addict may import into Punjab and possess opium obtained by him on the authority of a permit issued in his favour by another State in India, upto the extent of the quantity authorised in the permit provided that;
(i) the opium permit holder of another State, when visiting the State of Punjab brings with him opium permit and also a certificate from the Excise authority of the place from where he comes, in evidence of the grant of such permit, which shall be, got countersigned from the Excise Officer of the first destination of the visitor,
(ii) such opium permit holder shall not have in his possession opium in excess of the quantity authorized in the permit,
(iii) such permission shall be valid for a period not exceeding one month from the date of issue of the certificate referred to in clause (i), and if the opium permit holder prolongs his stay in the State he shall obtain a regular permit from the Chief Medical Officer of the district concerned on surrender of the permit issued in the State from which he migrates or returns.