Lok Sabha passes The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014, to repeal archaic laws [Read the Bill]

In line with the previous actions and declaration by the Union Government, the Lok Sabha today passed The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014. The Bill provides for repealing of 35 laws and pass amendments to two laws.

The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 11, 2014 by the Minister of Law and Justice, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad. Replying to a debate on 'The Repealing and Amending Bill 2014', the Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda said, "This is an initial step taken by the new government. We will see in a span of one or two years... the statute book will be cleared. And there will be no confusion as far as disposal of cases are concerned." He added, "These laws at present are of no use and such dead laws create confusion if they continue in the statute books."

The four statutes that the Bill aims to repeal are, The Indian Fisheries Act, 1897, The Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1947, The Sugar Undertakings (Taking Over of Management) Act, 1978 and The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993. While certain amendments to The Prohibition of Manual Scavengers Act, 2013, and The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 have been provided for in the Bill.

Reportedly, the Bill had 35 statutes mentioned in its first schedule, however, the government had to drop Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 from the same after a report given by the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee had favoured retaining the 1993 Act as several states were yet to pass resolutions to implement the 2013 Act on the subject.

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Read the Bill here.