Haryana Cabinet approves ordinance to decriminalise minor offences

Chandigarh, Oct 12 (PTI) In a move aimed to ease regulatory burden, the Haryana Cabinet on Sunday approved a proposal to introduce the Haryana Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Ordinance, 2025.

The state cabinet, in its meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, has also approved the proposal for amendment in the Punjab Factories Rules, 1952 to permit the employment of women in certain processes in factories.

The Haryana Jan Vishwas Ordinance seeks to decriminalise 164 provisions contained in 42 State Acts administered by 17 departments, an official statement said.

"This initiative aligns with the Government of India's vision of reducing compliance burdens and decriminalising minor offences across various sectors," the statement said.

The ordinance replaces criminal penalties for minor technical and procedural lapses with civil penalties and administrative actions. It also removes obsolete and redundant clauses, ensuring that the legal framework is more transparent, efficient and facilitative.

This reform initiative follows the enactment of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 by the government of India, which decriminalized 183 provisions across 42 Central Acts.

In pursuance of the advisory issued by the Union government, Haryana has undertaken a comprehensive review of its laws to adopt a similar approach at the state level, the statement said.

The introduction of the Haryana Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025, was identified as a key action item during the fourth Chief Secretaries' Conference and forms an important component of the ongoing Compliance Reduction and Deregulation (CRD) exercise being coordinated by the Cabinet Secretariat, government of India, it said.

A series of meetings chaired by the chief secretary, Haryana, with the participation of administrative secretaries of all concerned departments, led to the finalisation of this landmark reform.

The ordinance would mark a major shift from enforcement-based to trust-based governance.

It represents the most extensive decriminalization effort undertaken by any state government to date, with the highest number of criminal provisions proposed for removal, the statement said.

In another decision, the cabinet has approved the proposal for amendment in the Punjab Factories Rules, 1952 to permit the employment of women in certain processes in factories.

The proposed amendment will allow the online submission of fees applicable under the rules.

The proposed amendment allows the employment of women in all categories of work subject to prescribed safety conditions.

"The amendment will eliminate gender disparity, expand employment opportunities for women, and promote inclusivity in industrial sectors such as engineering, chemicals, and manufacturing where women's participation was earlier restricted," the statement said.

"It reflects Haryana's commitment to modern labour reforms, empowerment of women, and equal opportunity principles enshrined under Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution of India," it said.

It further said the amendment ensures that pregnant women and lactating mothers are excluded from hazardous employment categories, thereby maintaining the required health and safety protection.

The Haryana Cabinet also approved the framing of state rules under Sub-section (1) of Section 49 of the Haryana Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017.

The new rules will be called the Haryana Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Rules, 2025.

Under these rules, the state government will designate the commissioners of its six administrative divisions to act as ombudsmen.

"Their role, as outlined in Section 23 of the Act, is to handle complaints and grievances of people living with HIV/AIDS. Each ombudsman will operate within their respective divisions-- ”Rohtak, Hisar, Karnal, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ambala-- ”and will be supported by the civil surgeon of the concerned district," the statement said.

The cabinet also approved amendments to the Haryana Prison Rules, 2022, to incorporate the definition of "habitual offender". The amended rules will be called as the Haryana Prison (Amendment) Rules, 2025.

Under the amended rules, the definition of a habitual offender in Rule 2, sub-rule (1), clause (xi) of the Haryana Prison Rules, 2022, has been revised.

"Habitual offender means a person who during any continuous period of five years, has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment on more than two occasions on account of any one or more of the offences committed on different occasions and not constituting parts of same transaction, such sentence not having been reversed in appeal or review.

"Provided that in computing the continuous period of five years referred to above, any period spent in jail either under sentence of imprisonment or under detention shall not be taken into account," the statement said.

The cabinet also approved the proposal to amend the Rule 6(2) of the Punjab Village Common Lands Rules, 1964 for making provision that out of the land proposed to be leased out for cultivation, four per cent shall be reserved for person with benchmark disability of 60 per cent or above. PTI SUN KVK KVK