Yogi Adityanath govt to table 17 bills in Uttar Pradesh assembly tomorrow

The bills are expected to be approved instantly.

The bills were slated to be tabled on Friday but due to death of a BJP member Janmajae Singh, the Assembly was adjourned for the day and all the agenda shifted to Saturday, which could be the last day of the monsoon session started on Thursday.

Official sources here on Friday said the government is prepared to bring these bills and is ready to reply to any queries of the members.

The state government had implemented major ordinances after the outbreak of Covid-19, related to postponement of MLA funds, cuts in salary of ministers and legislators, and preventing attacks on frontline workers.

The ordinances brought by the government are required to get the approval of the Legislature under constitutional obligation. After the passage of the bill, the Governor will also have to approve them, after which they will be considered as finalised.

Earlier in the month of March this year, UP Governor Anandiben Patel had promulgated an ordinance for recovery of damage to public and private properties from rioters and protesters, and to provide the setting-up of tribunals to adjudicate claims for damages and recover them.

The ordinance was promulgated four days after the Supreme Court refused to stay the Allahabad High Court's Mar 9 order for the removal of the state government's 'name-and-shame posters' displaying the photographs and names of the alleged rioters involved in damaging properties during anti-CAA protests in December last year.

As per the statement of object and reasons (SOR) of the ordinance, it aims at dealing with “all acts of violence at public places and to control its persistence and escalation, and to provide for the recovery of damage to public or private property during hartal, bundh, riots, public commotion or protests."

The UP Cabinet had approved the ordinance on March 13, a day after a vacation bench of the apex court, comprising justices UU Lalit and Aniruddha Bose, refused to stay the Allahabad High Court's order for removal of the government's anti-CAA stir, name-and-shame posters.

While hearing an urgent plea by the state government seeking a stay of the high court order, the apex court had refused to grant relief to the government saying that there was no law to support its action.

After various incidents of assaults on healthcare workers emerged in the state, the amendment to the Epidemic Act 1987 was done to ensure stricter punishment for those harassing coronavirus frontline workers, which includes doctors, paramedical staff, police personnel and sanitation personnel. Spitting on any worker is also considered an offence under this.

Meanwhile, in the month of June earlier this year, the BJP government had approved the Cow-Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

The amendment calls for stricter punishment for violators and allows the publication of pictures of the accused in prominent spots in the city. It also permits the prosecution of the driver and owner of the vehicle which was used to carry a cow for the purpose of slaughter.

A cabinet meeting chaired by CM Yogi Adityanath approved the amendment to Section 5A of the UP Cow Slaughter Prevention Act 1955. It penalises cow slaughter with jail terms ranging from a minimum of one year to a maximum of ten years and imposes monetary fines between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

The new law will also allow the recovery of expenses incurred on the maintenance of recovered cows till they are released to their owners or for a time period of one year, whichever is earlier.

The amendment to the Act also makes space for a provision that allows the denial of bail to the accused unless the special prosecutor gets a chance to oppose it.

Other key bills that are to be presented during the session include - Contingency Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020; Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Second (Amendment) Bill 2020; Uttar Pradesh State Legislature Members Achievements and Pension (Amendment) Bill 2020; and the Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Bill 2020.

Some bills related to labour law and industrial management will also be tabled in the assembly, namely, the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Disputes (Amendment) Bill 2020; Uttar Pradesh Factory Disputes (Amendment) Bill 2020; Uttar Pradesh Industrial Area Development (Amendment) Bill 2020; Temporary Exemption from Certain Labor Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020.

The Prisons Act 1894 (Amendment) Bill 2020; Prison Uttar Pradesh (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will also be tabled. Meanwhile, the Value Added Tax Amendment Bill 2020; Ministerial Pay Allowance, and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill 2020; Agricultural Produce Market (Amendment) Bill 2020; Uttar Pradesh Govt Prevention (Amendment) Bill 2020; Uttar Pradesh Self-financed Independent Schools (Fee Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2020; Prison Uttar Pradesh (Amendment) Bill, 2020, will too be put forth for approval in the assembly.