Assembly passes Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0 to ease minor offence penalties
The -Madhya Pradesh Jan Vishwas Bill-02 passed by the state assembly by voice vote on Wednesday aims to decriminalise minor offences and rationalise maximum punishment for the same from jail term to penalty.
The Bill tabled in the House on Tuesday is in continuation to MP Jan Vishwas Bill-01 passed by the House in 2024 under "ease of living and ease of doing business" policy of the union and the state govts. The Bill proposes to amend 80 sections of 16 laws of different Acts so as to decriminalise certain offences.
The laws sought to be amended include sub-clause 3 of section 3 of MP Fisheries Act, 1948, under which fishing by way of use of explosives, chemicals, firearms and such equipment, fishing during the season when it is banned and fishing of the species that is banned, which according to existing law attracts maximum punishment of 1 year of imprisonment will now have penalty of Rs 2 lakh as punishment.
The Bill also seeks to amend Section 23 of the MP Agriculture Warehouse Act, 1947, under which violation of Sections 15, 16, 18 of the Act attracted a maximum jail term of 3 years or penalty or both but now the crimes will be compoundable with the concurrence of the court.
The competent authority will impose appropriate penalty on the persons found guilty of violating the law, which the alleged offender will be able to challenge before commissioner, food & civil supplies and if not satisfied by his order too, he may go in appeal before the principal secretary, food & civil supplies.
The sections in the Act amended relate to operating a warehouse without due permission, which shall attract a penalty of up to Rs 3 lakh according to capacity of the warehouse, non-renewal of the licence which shall have a penalty of Rs 10 thousand, delay in returning the product stored in the warehouse and not getting the product stored in the warehouse insured, which shall attract a maximum penalty of 3 percent of the cost of the product and 5 times the monthly premium of the insurance respectively.
The Bill also seeks to amend the sub-clause (5) of section 195 of the MP Municipal Act 1959 and sub-clause (5) of section 208 of M P Municipal Act, 1969, thereby replacing the word 'penalty' by 'late fee'.
The Bill also seeks to amend section 35 of the MP Ayurvedic, Unani and Natural Therapy Practitioners Act, 1970, thereby providing for penalty of Rs 50,000 if found practising without due registration and Rs 1 lakh penalty each time subsequently.
T
he Bill, when it becomes a law, will also amend section 24 of the MP Krishi Upaj Mandi Act, 1972, thereby giving powers to the Mandi secretary to impose a penalty of Rs 5 thousand on a person for violation of section 35 of the Act. He will also be fined Rs 1 thousand daily till he continues violating the law and if he is an employee subordinate to the Mandi secretary, he will be fined by the managing director of the Mandi Board.
The Bill also provides for amendment in the Midwifery & Obstetrical Nursing Registration Act. A person found working as a midwife without registration though she has the requisite qualification will attract a penalty of Rs 10,000 and if she continues working without registration, she will be fined at the rate of Rs 500 daily.
The Bill also seeks to amend sub-clause 50 of section 19 of the MP Homeopathy Council Act thereby providing Rs 20 thousand penalty and if it's an organisation, Rs 50 thousand, if the person or the organisation has the qualification but not the registration to operate.
The MP Medical Council Act, 1989, will also be amended to provide for Rs 1 lakh penalty if a person with requisite qualification is found practicing without registration.
Certain clauses of the MP Motor Vehicle Taxation Act, M P Panchayat Raj & Gram Swaraj Act,MP Jan Shiksha Adhiniyam, MP Rural Infrastructure & Road Development Act, MP Fruit Plants Plantation Act , MP Anatomy Act while M P Cotton (Statistics) Act, MP Cotton Control Act, MP India Weighting and Measurement Act and MP Chickenpox Vaccination Act will be abolished when the Bill comes into force as law.
MSME state minister Chaitnaya Kashyap while replying to debate over the Bill said that it has been brought to let the traders and entrepreneurs do business in a fearless and stress free atmosphere, which is necessary as a drive is underway to attract investments in the state and it's getting an overwhelming response.
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