SRI KRISHNA RICE MILLS ETC. vs JOINT DIRECTOR (FOOD) GOVT. OF INDIA, VIJAYAWADA

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of price fixation under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, ruling that the officer's price determination was consistent with the Act's provisions. The Court clarified that 'published figures' must be publicly available and not merely recorded in private accounts. The appellants' claims regarding the unconstitutionality of the price fixation under Articles 14, 19, and 31 were dismissed, affirming that the lower price fixed on December 30, 1957, was applicable to requisitioned rice despite prior purchases at a higher price.