The Marine Products Export Development Authority Act, 1972
Administered Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry / Department of Commerce
Section 21 Directions by Central Government.
Section 22 Returns and reports.
(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), the Authority shall, as soon as possible after the end of each financial year, submit to the Central Government a report in such form and before such date, as may be prescribed, giving a true and full account of its activities, policy and programmes during the previous financial year.
(3) A copy of the report received under sub-section (2) shall be laid before each House of Parliament.
Section 23 Penalty for making false returns.
Section 24 Penalties for obstructing a member or officer of the Authority in the discharge of his duties and for failure to produce books and records.
1[2[24. Penalty for failure to produce books and records.—Any person who, having control over or custody of any account book or other record, fails to produce such book or record when required to do so by or under this Act, shall be liable to penalty which may extend to ten thousand rupees.]
1. Subs. by Act 18 of 2023, s. 2 and Sch., for ss. 24 and 25 (w.e.f. 16-8-2024).
2. Subs. by Act 8 of 2026, s. 2 and Sch. for section 24 (w.e.f. 23-6-2026).
Section 25 Other penalties.
1[25. Other penalties.-- Whoever contravenes or attempts to contravene or abets the contravention of the provisions of this Act or of any rules made thereunder other than the provisions, punishment or penalty for the contravention whereof has been provided for in sections 20, 23 and 24 shall be liable to penalty not less than ten thousand rupees, or not exceeding an amount equivalent to the value of goods, whichever is higher, in respect of which such contravention has been made, and in case of a continuing contravention as aforesaid, a penalty of not less than fifty thousand rupees, or not exceeding an amount equivalent to twice the value of goods, whichever is higher, in respect of which such contravention has been made].
Section 26 Offences by companies.
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation.--For the purposes of this section--
(a) "company" means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and
(b) "director", in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.
Section 27 [Omitted].
[Jurisdiction of court.] Omitted by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (8 of 2026), s. 2 and Sch. (w.e.f. 23-6-2026)
Section 28 Previous sanction of Central Government.
Section 29 Protection of action taken in good faith.
Section 30 Power to delegate.
Section 31 Suspension of operation of Act.
(2) Where the operation of any provision of this Act has under sub-section (1) been suspended or relaxed indefinitely, such suspension or relaxation may at any time while this Act remains in force be removed by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette.
Section 32 Application of other laws not barred.
Section 33 Power of Central Government to make rules. 1 docs
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:--
(a) the number of persons to be appointed as members from each of the categories specified in clause (e) of sub-section (3) of section 4, the term of office and other conditions of service of members, the manner of filling vacancies among, and the procedure to be followed in the discharge of their functions by, such members;
(b) the circumstances in which and the authority by which a member may be removed;
(c) the holding of a minimum number of meetings of the Authority every year;
(d) the procedure to be followed at meetings of the Authority for the conduct of business and the number of members which shall form a quorum at a meeting;
(e) the maintenance by the Authority of records of business transacted by the Authority and the submission of copies thereof to the Central Government;
(f) the powers of the Authority, its Chairman, the Director and Committees of the Authority with respect to the incurring of expenditure;
(g) the conditions subject to which the Authority may incur expenditure outside India;
(h) the preparation of budget estimates of receipts and expenditure of the Authority and the authority by which the estimates are to be sanctioned;
(i) the form and manner in which the accounts should be kept by the Authority;
(j) the deposit of the funds of the Authority in banks and the investment of such funds;
(k) the conditions subject to which the Authority may borrow;
(l) the conditions subject to which and the manner in which contracts may be entered into by or on behalf of the Authority;
(m) the additional matters in respect of which the Authority may undertake measures in the discharge of its functions;
(n) the remuneration and other allowances payable to the person or persons referred to in clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 10;
(o) the form of, and the particulars to be contained in, any returns or reports to be made to the Authority under this Act;
(p) the form of, and the manner of making applications for registration and for its cancellation by the Authority, the fee payable on such applications and the procedure to be followed in granting and cancelling registration and the conditions governing such registration;
(q) the collection of any information or statistics in respect of marine products;
1[(qa) the manner of holding inquiry and imposing penalty under sub-section (1) of section 25A;
(qb) the form and manner of preferring appeal under sub-section (2) of section 25A;]
(r) any other matter which is to be or may be prescribed by, or provided for by rules under, this Act.
(3) Every rule made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be, after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.
Section 34 Power to make regulations.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such regulations may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:--
(a) the procedure to be followed at meetings of the Committees appointed by the Authority and the number of members which shall form a quorum at a meeting;
(b) the delegation to the Chairman, members, Director, Secretary or other officers of the Authority of any of the powers and duties of the Authority under this Act;
(c) the travelling and other allowances of members of the Authority and of Committees thereof;
(d) the pay and allowances and leave and other conditions of service of officers (other than those appointed by the Central Government) and other employees of the Authority;
(e) the maintenance of its accounts;
(f) the maintenance of the registers and other records of the Authority and its various Committees;
(g) the appointment by the Authority of agents to discharge on its behalf any of its functions;
(h) the persons by whom, and the manner in which, payments, deposits and investments may be made on behalf of the Authority.
(3) No regulation made by the Authority shall have effect until it has been approved by the Central Government and published in the Official Gazette, and the Central Government, in confirming a regulation, may make any change therein which appears to it to be necessary.
(4) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, cancel any regulation which it has confirmed and thereupon the regulation shall cease to have effect.
1[(5) Every regulation made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the regulation or both Houses agree that the regulation should not be made, the regulation shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that regulation.]
Section 25A Adjudication of penalties.
1[25A. Adjudication of penalties.--(1) For the purposes of adjudging penalties under 2[section 11, section 12] sub-section (3) of section 20, section 23, 3*** section 24 and section 25, the Chairman shall appoint the Secretary to the Authority or any other officer authorised by the Central Government, as the case may be, to be an adjudicating officer for holding an inquiry and imposing penalty under the provisions of this Act, in the manner as may be prescribed, after giving the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard
(2) Whoever is aggrieved by an order of the adjudicating officer may prefer an appeal to the Chairman, within a period of sixty days from the date of receipt of such order in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
(3) An appeal may be admitted after the expiry of the period of sixty days if the appellant satisfies the Chairman that he had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within that period.
(4) No appeal shall be disposed of unless the appellant has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
(5) The appellate authority referred to in sub-section (2) shall dispose of the appeal within sixty days from the date of filing.
(6) The amount of penalty imposed under sub-section (1), if not paid, shall be recovered as an arrear of land revenue.]
1. Subs. by Act 18 of 2023, s. 2 and Schedule, for sections 24 and 25 (w.e.f. 16-8-2024).
2. Ins. by Act 8 of 2026, s. 2 and Sch., (w.e.f. 23-6-2026).
3. The words “clause (b) of” omitted by s. 2 and Sch., ibid. (w.e.f. 23-6-2026).
Section 25B Officers and employees of Authority to be public servants.
1[25B. Officers and employees of Authority to be public servants.—All officers and other employees of the Authority, when acting or purporting to act in pursuance of any of the provisions of this Act, shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of clause (28) of section 2 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023).]
1. Ins. by Act 8 of 2026, s. 2 and Sch., (w.e.f. 23-6-2026)