Rajasthan launches drive for removing criminal penalties

Aim is to facilitate hassle-free business transactions and industrial activities in the State

The Congress government in Rajasthan has launched an exercise for removal of unnecessary punitive provisions and criminal penalties to facilitate hassle-free business transactions and industrial activities. The heads of all the departments concerned have been asked to review the provisions and make the required changes.

Chief Secretary Usha Sharma said here that the decriminalisation drive would be completed through a time-bound action plan. The departments will comprehensively review all the legislations and the rules framed under them to identify criminal penalties, which have become redundant, and recommend their removal to the State government.

Ms. Sharma said the Centre had named the Commerce and Industry Ministry’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade as the nodal agency for the decriminalisation exercise. It has decriminalised several penal provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, as well as several offences under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008.

The Industries and Commerce Department in Rajasthan has been entrusted with the task of identification and review of the State’s statutes and rules. While the drive will ensure simplification of laws, smooth conduct of business and inflow of investments, the departments concerned have been instructed to work in the mission mode for the drive.

Mahendra Kumar Parakh, Commissioner (Industries and Commerce), said the progress of the exercise would be reviewed shortly in another meeting with the nodal officers of various departments with the focus on simplification and streamlining of procedures to run or start a business in the State.