Bill to amend Goondas Act introduced in TN Assembly to punish those who dump medical waste into state
CHENNAI: Law Minister S Regupathy on Saturday introduced a Bill to further amend the Goondas Act, 1982, to punish those who dump bio-medical waste into Tamil Nadu from the neighbouring States.
Accordingly, the Minister introduced a Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Cyberlaw offenders, Drug offenders, Forest-offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand-offenders, Sexual-offenders, Slum-grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982, commonly known as the Goondas Act, 1982.
It is also known as Act 14 of 1982. This Act allows the state to detain individuals without trial, preventing them from engaging in "dangerous activities prejudicial to the maintenance of public order".
Though the Agenda of the State Assembly for April 26 mentioned that Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, V Senthil Balaji, would introduce the above amendment Bill, Law Minister S Regupathy introduced it.
It assumed significance since there are expectations that Balaji may step down as minister within a day or two, according to the recent verdict of the Supreme Court.
On the objectives and reasons for the amendment, the Bill said Chief Minister MK Stalin, while moving the demand for grants for the police department for 2024-2025, announced that to control the activities of persons indulging in economic offences, they will be detained under the above Act and it would be amended suitably.
'Further, the improper disposal of bio-medical waste poses grave risks to public health and the environment. There are frequent complaints about the dumping of such waste in Tamil Nadu from the neighbouring States. The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court in its order dated November 15, 2023, observed that it is the right time to book the violators of the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 by bringing suitable amendments,' the Bill added.
The Bill also said the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, were repealed and re-enacted as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, respectively. Hence, certain consequential amendments are required to be made in the said Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982.
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