Odisha proposes to repeal 699 redundant laws

Departments have been asked to offer their views on the Odisha Repealing Bill

The Odisha government has proposed to come up with a Bill to repeal as many as 699 redundant Acts and amendments.

Departments have been asked to offer their views on the Odisha Repealing Bill, 2020 for repealing redundant Acts and amendments enacted between 1974 and 2016.

The highest 113 redundant or obsolete acts were identified in the Revenue and Disaster Management department while it was followed by the Finance department having 83 laws which were not in use.

The Housing and Urban Development department and the Panchayati Raj department have 77 redundant Acts.

In the Parliamentary Affairs department, while the Odisha Offices of Profit (Removal of Disqualifications) Amendment Act, 2016 was identified to be obsolete, as many as 43 Acts and amendments pertaining to salary, allowances, pensions of MLAs, Ministers and Speakers were found to be redundant.

Military police

Since 1946, the Odisha’s Armed Police Force used to be identified as Odisha Military Police. However, an amendment was made in 1980 after which the word ‘military police’ was substituted by special armed police. Now, the Orissa Military Police Act, 1946 is in the list of Acts which will be done away with.

Many Acts and amendments were enacted in 2016, but these laws became obsolete within four years. The Odisha Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2016 was enacted to make use of Odia language mandatory in all official communication in the State. Now, it is identified as redundant.

Ponzi schemes

Similarly, in 2016 the Naveen Patnaik government came up with The Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (in financial establishments) Amendment Act, 2016. The Act was intended at carrying out expeditious investigation into ponzi schemes and refunding the hard-earned money of depositors. It is likely to be struck off the statute book.

The Orissa Protection of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Interest in Trees) Act, 1983 was enacted to restrict the sale of the timber of specified trees in case the owner of such trees belongs to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, without the permission of the Forest Range Officer.