NEW DELHI: Moving a step closer to implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the BJP-ruled Uttarakhand on Friday constituted a drafting committee to report to the government on the
matter.
Recently, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami had said that his state would be second after Goa to enforce the Uniform Civil Code "to ensure equality in the law to all."
The drafting committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai. The panel will have Delhi High Court judge Pramod Kohli ex-state chief secretary and former IAS officer Shatrughan Sinha, Manu Guad and Sureksh Dangwal (VC of Doon University) as members.
Official sources said that state governor Gurmit Singh has approved the constitution of the committee.
As the UCC advocates for a single law for all Indian citizens on issues like divorce, marriages, custody, inheritance and adoption, Uttarakhand is committed to bringing it for this purpose.
BJP sources say that next to Uttarakhand, UP and other BJP-ruled states will move towards implementing Uniform Civil Code through proper Constitutional provisions.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM told media persons that the state has taken a decision on it. “We have taken a decision to implement UCC in the state to become the second state after Goa to implement it”, he told the media on Friday. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur had also said that his state will consider implementing the UCC after examining it.