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Union law ministry to root out obsolete laws


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 8, 2014  :  In an informal chat with media,Union  law minister DV Sadananda Gowdasaid he has moved papers before the cabinet for repealing the 892 Appropriation Bills and hoped to complete the process during the ongoing session. In wake of the 42nd amendment to the Constitution, state governments concerned will have to repeal some of these redundant bills, he said, adding the law department has completed process of bifurcating these bills for the purpose.


sadandda gowdaIndian statute books are all set to become lighter, thanks to an effort of the union law ministry. The process of repealing old laws will be placed before parliament in the ongoing winter session. Likewise, the ministry has also initiated the process of repealing 892 Appropriation Bills pertaining to union ministries of finance and railways that date back from 1950, union law minister DV Sadananda Gowda  stated here.



Referring to the appropriation bills, Gowda said they are brought in for the express purpose to allow withdrawal of money from the exchequer and do not serve any further purpose once the process is completed. When these bills remain in statute books, they lead to confusion, Gowda opined adding that the process is on to remove nearly 1,500-2,000 useless laws from the statute books and rid them of all ’dead laws’ and thereby lighten the books.

On a move to making voting compulsory, Gowda said the larger issue here is that of electoral reforms, which has been hanging fire for the past three decades. Observing that both the state and central election commissions are independent bodies, he said, the centre and respective state governments can make an effort in this regard as has been tried out by the Gujarat government which has sought to make voting in local body polls compulsory.

Noting that contradictory opinions came to the fore when a report of the law commission was referred to the parliamentary standing committee, Gowda said the process cannot be achieved through enacting a law. "There is need to discuss this issue with all political parties and strive for a consensus," he said, adding state governments, the centre, law and election commissions must join hands to bring in reforms, which are a top priority for NDA government.