Warehouse:

The law makes a clear distinction between public warehouses and private warehouses. The public warehouse is owned and managed by a government body. In most of the cases it is Central Warehousing Corporation. A private warehouse is licensed in places where there is no public bonded warehouse. An important point to be remembered is the liability of the warehouse keeper. Normally such warehouses are kept under double lock one that of the warehouse keeper, and the other of the customs department. Further in the case of the private bonded warehouse the licensee has to pay for and acquire the services of a customs officer (on cost recovery basis) to be posted and stationed in the private warehouse.

The common features about these warehouses are:

(a) the warehouses should be situated in a warehousing station;

(b) the ground plan of the warehouse should be scrutinized for suitability and security of the building;

(c) there should be sufficient light and ventilation for proper storage of goods;

(d) the windows should be secured with shutters and stout iron bars. Superfluous windows should be closed up with brick work;

(e) the entrances should have strong and secured doors with strong locks. They should be capable of periodical check from outside and the doors are locked;

(f) there should be proper and prominent name board, showing the full name and full address of the warehouse.