Assam Assembly approves seven bills repealing old legislation

The Assam Assembly passed seven bills repealing old legislation on December 22.

All the bills, which were introduced in the house on December 21, were passed by voice vote without any discussion.  

The bills are ‘The Assam Evacuee Property (Repealing) Bill, 2022’, ‘The Assam Jute (Control of Prices) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’, ‘The Assam Darrang and Lakhimpur Districts (Assimilation of Laws on State Subjects) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’ and ‘The Assam Local Authorities Grants (Charged) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’. 

‘The Public Gambling (Extension to Mizo District) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’, the original act of which was enacted in 1962, was also passed. 

Two more legislations which were enacted in the 1970s were also repealed, through the clearing of ‘The Assam Farmers (Group Irrigation) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’ and ‘The Tinsukia and Dibrugarh Electricity Supply Undertakings (Acquisition) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’.

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The state government also on December 22 introduced three amendment bills in order to promote 'ease of doing business' and reduce the 'compliance burden' on individuals, businesses and authorities.
As many as 5 repealing bills were also introduced in the House, seeking to do away with obsolete legislation. 

Finance Minister Ajanta Neog, introducing ‘The Assam Money Lenders' (Amendment) Bill, 2022', said, “The amendments will 'reduce the regulatory compliance burden on citizens and businesses. The amendments are in line with measures to improve 'Ease of Living' and 'Ease of Doing Business'.”

The finance minister further introduced five bills to repeal existing acts which are 'not relevant today and a part of reducing compliance burden initiative of the government of India'. 'The Assam Taxation (Procedure for Rounding Off) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’, ‘The Assam Taxation Law Validation (Repealing) Bill, 2022’, ‘The Assam Taxation (Transfer of Reference Application) (Repealing) Bill, 2022’and ‘The Assam Rural Development Cess (Repealing) Bill, 2022’ were introduced by the minister.
 
Neog further introduced 'The Assam Protection of Interest of Depositors (In Financial Establishments) (Repealing) Bill, 2022', which seeks to do away with the original Act of 2000.

“The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme Act and Rules' has provided for a comprehensive mechanism to ban unregulated deposit schemes with wider ambit and hence, the repealing bill has been brought to 'reduce the regulatory compliance burden on citizens and businesses,” she stated the objects and reasons.

'The Assam State Transport Corporation (Prevention of Unauthorised Travel) (Amendment) Bill, 2022', introduced in the House by Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, seeks to decriminalise penalty for ticketless travel, dereliction of duty and obstructing employee of the corporation in his duty.
 
The monetary penalty imposed in each case has sought to be increased as per the amended bill, the minister said. 

Environment and forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, introducing 'The Assam Forest (Removal & Storage of Forest Produce) Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2022', said the amendments have been proposed 'to regulate and control removal of forest produces outside the state of Assam and the setting up of establishment of the trading depot for forest produce'. 

It is also in line with the reducing compliance burden initiative of the government of India, he added in the 'statement of objects and reasons' of the bill.