The collection of statistic act, 1953 was enacted to facilitate the collection of statistics of certain kinds relating to industries, trade and commerce.

Statistic authority

The government has power to appoint an officer as a statistic authority for the purpose of collecting any statistics.

Collection of Statistic

The government may direct to collect the statistics of any of the following matters-

  • any matter relating to any industry or class of industries;
  • any matter relating to any commercial or industrial concern or class of commercial or industrial concerns, and in particular, any matter relating to factories;
  • any of the following matters so far as they relate to welfare of labour and conditions of labour, namely: —
    • price of commodities;
    • attendance;
    • living conditions including housing, water supply and sanitation;
    • indebtedness;
    • rents of dwelling houses;
    • wages and other earnings;
    • provident and other funds provided for labour;
    • benefits and amenities provided for labour;
    • hours of work;
    • employment and unemployment;
    • industrial and labour disputes;
    • labour turnover;
    • trade unions.

Meaning of commercial concern

The word ‘commercial concern’ mentioned in clause (b) of above mentioned matters means,

A public limited company or a co-operative society or a firm or any other person or body of persons engaged in trade or commerce, and includes—

  • a concern engaged in banking or insurance;
  • a financial corporation;
  • a concern engaged in shipping and navigation;
  • a concern engaged in the business of brokers dealing in shares, stocks and securities and commodities;
  • a concern engaged in the business of advertising consultants;
  • a light railway;
  • a concern engaged in road transport service;
  • a concern engaged in air transport service;
  • a rubber, tea, coffee or chincona plantation;
  • a concern engaged in the business of forwarding and clearing agents.

Meaning of Industrial concern

The another word is industrial concern. Industrial concern means a public limited company or co-operative society or a firm or any other person or body of persons engaged in the manufacture, assembling, packing, preservation or processing of goods or in mining or in the generation or distribution of electricity or any other form of power.

Power of statistic authority to call for information

The statistic authority may serve a notice to the owner of the industrial or commercial concern to any matter in respect of which statistic are to be collected.

The statistic authority shall have the power to access relevant record or document in the possession of any person required to furnish any information, for the purpose of the collection of any statistic. It may enter at any reasonable time any premises where he believes such record or document to be and may inspect of take copies of relevant records or documents or ask any question necessary for obtaining any information required to be furnished.

Limitation on the power of statistic authority

No information, no individual return and no part of an individual return with respect to any particular industrial or commercial concern, given for the purposes of this Act shall, without the previous consent in writing of the owner or his authorised agent, be published in such manner as would enable any particulars to be identified as referring to a particular concern.

Penalties

If any person—

  • required to furnish any information or return—
    • wilfully refuses or without lawful excuse neglects to furnish information or return; or
    • wilfully furnishes or causes to be furnished any information or return which he knows to be false; or
    • refuses to answer or wilfully gives a false answer to any question necessary for obtaining any information required to be furnished; or
    • impedes the right of access to relevant records or documents or the right of entry;

he shall for each such offence be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees and in the case or a continuing offence to a further fine which may extend to two hundred rupees for each day after the first during which the offence continues.

REFERENCE

The collection of statistics act, 1953