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Essential Commodities Act
The Essential Commodities Act allows the government to regulate production, storage, distribution and pricing of goods it declares essential, such as food, fuel and medicines, to prevent hoarding and ensure supply during shortages.
Why It Matters
It is the government’s emergency lever when a vital good becomes scarce.
In India
On March 9, 2026, the government invoked the Act to prioritise natural gas and LPG for household kitchens during the Hormuz disruption.
See it in the news
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