In next Budget Session, Odisha government to repeal over 200 obsolete laws

Bhubaneswar, Dec 29: The Odisha State Government is set to repeal around 200 laws, 40 years after it repealed more than a 100 obsolete and redundant Acts through the Odisha Repealing Act of 1976.

The State Cabinet gave its approval for repeal of 206 old and obsolete Acts that were passed between 1976 and 2016. Principal Secretary of the law department, Shashikant Mishra said that since September 2020, 33 departments in the state were asked to list the obsolete laws that can be repealed.

He said from the initial list of 699 laws, we have decided to repeal 206 laws in the first phase. After the State Law Commission recommended for their repeal, the Cabinet approved it. The laws would be repealed through Odisha Repealing Bill 2021 to be moved in the Budget session of the Assembly, Mishra also said.

Odisha Motor Spirit (Taxationon sales) Amendment Act, 1974, Odisha Entertainment Tax (Amendment)Act, 1975, Odisha Electricity Duty (Amendment) Act, 2010, Orissa Police Amendment Act, 1976, which regulates black-marketing in cinema halls and Orissa Police Amendment Act, 1975, which made it liable for people of an area to pay penalty if they failed to provide timely help in case of destruction of property have also gone redundant. Similarly and the Orissa Prevention of Gambling Act, 1955 are among the 206 Acts and laws that the Odisha Repealing Bill 2021 wants to scrap.

Orissa Eyes (Authorities for use for therapeutic purposes) Act, 1985, which is no longer valid after the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act was passed by the Parliament in 1994, Orissa Fireworks and Loudspeakers Amendment Act 1979 that empowered the district collectors to stop the display of fireworks and use of loudspeaker in an area for six months, would also be repealed.

After the Odisha Excise Act 2005 was passed, at least 8 Acts under the Bihar Odisha Excise Amendment Act between 1974 and 1998 have become obsolete. The last time Odisha repealed over 100 old and obsolete Acts was in 1978, when the Janata Party government headed by then chief minister Nilamani Routray was in power in the state.

The Odisha Cabinet also approved a resolution proposing quota in medical and engineering courses for students of government run schools in the state. According to this, students completing their education in state run schools will have a reservation during admissions to medical and engineering courses. For the effective implementation of the same, a high-powered committee headed by a retired Orissa High Court judge will be formed.