Gujarat govt to table 'Jan Vishwas Bill' to decriminalise minor offences

Ahmedabad, Sep 3 (PTI) The Gujarat government will introduce a bill that seeks to decriminalise certain offences in order to promote trust-based governance and ease of doing business, a minister said on Wednesday.

It is also aimed at simplifying rules and regulations, promoting ease of doing business and reducing burden on courts, he said.

During the upcoming monsoon session of the legislative assembly, the state government will table 'The Gujarat Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill' to amend some provisions in 11 existing acts, state Parliamentary and Legislative Affairs Minister Rushikesh Patel said in Gandhinagar.

The monsoon session of the assembly will be held in Gandhinagar from September 8 to 10 and five bills, including the Jan Vishwas Bill, will be tabled for discussion and approval of the House, Patel told reporters.

"Our aim is to simplify rules and regulations, promote ease of doing business, reduce burden on courts and rationalise the existing provisions," he said.

As per the Jan Vishwas Bill document uploaded on the official website of the assembly, its aim is "to amend certain enactments for decriminalising and rationalising offences to further enhance trust-based governance for ease of living and the ease of doing business".

The bill proposes to replace punitive legal action with fines and penalties for various offences, such as unauthorised construction, encroachment on public spaces, non-removal of filth, tying cattle on public places and defaulting in payment of certain taxes, among many others.

The bill will amend existing provisions of 11 different acts, including the Gujarat Co-operative Societies Act, 1961, the Gujarat Agricultural Produce and Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 1963, the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976, the Gujarat Municipalities Act, 1963 and the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949.

The Gujarat Industrial Development Act, 1962, the Gujarat Domestic Water Supply (Protection) Act, 2019, the Gujarat Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1953, the Gujarat Industrial Relations Act, 1946, the Gujarat Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2019 and the Gujarat Electricity Duty Act, 1958.

"A web of outdated rules and regulations causes trust deficit. It is therefore necessary to redefine the regulatory landscape of the laws under the Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business reforms," said the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill.

It added that reducing compliance burden gives impetus to business process reengineering and improves ease of living of people.

According to the bill, the fear of imprisonment for minor offences is a major factor hampering the growth of the business ecosystem and individual confidence.

"The government is therefore considering decriminalisation of a number of minor offences by replacing them with monetary penalties. By taking such measures, the government is striving hard to make lives and businesses easier and reduce the burden on courts," it said. PTI PJT PD NP