NEW DELHI: The government is considering repealing 422 redundant acts and laws which have lost significance or became a hindrance to the progress of the country. The initiative has been taken up on priority and is being monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), according to a government letter.
The Home Ministry is examining 112 acts pertaining to North Block, including 24 acts related to Centre-State relations, 11 acts of Internal Security division, four related to foreigners division, seven of Judicial division and 18 related to Union Territories. The Home Ministry has asked all the divisions to finalise the review by April 18 of this year.
Some of these acts include the Public Servants (Inquries) Act 1850, Convert’s Marriage Dissolution Act 1866, Marriage Validation Act 1892, Church of Scotland Kirk Sessions Act 1899, North Western Provinces Village and Road Police Act 1873 and Weekly Holidays Act 1942.
“As the matter is urgent and also monitored by PMO, comments on the acts shown against your division may be sent to coordination by April 18, 2016 positively,” Home Ministry letter said.
Earlier, Secretary, legislative department G Narayana Raju had asked all the ministries examine the acts proposed for repealing by March 31.
“This may be taken up on priority basis so that the obsolete and redundant laws do not become hindrance in progress of the country,” Raju wrote.
Last year in November, Ministry of Shipping decided to rescind 13 rules under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 after it found them to be obsolete and unnecessary. The weeding out of obsolete rules like Merchant Shipping (Distressed Seamen) Rules, Certificate of Service Rules, Merchant Shipping (Radio) rules were done to simplify procedures by removing archaic rules that lead to avoidable complications.
Recently, the Law Commission of India in its report on “Obsolete Laws: Warranting Immediate Repeal” had observed that a large number of Appropriation Acts enacted during past several years, had lost meaning but were still shown on the statute books.
Out with the old
■ The initiative to repeal archaic laws and acts is being monitored by PMO
■ The Home Ministry has asked all divisions to finalise the review by April 18
■ Some acts to be repealed include Public Servants (Inquiries) Act 1850 and Church of Scotland Kirk Sessions Act 1899