On Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, which seeks to amend 42 laws across various sectors such as agriculture, environment, media, and publication. The primary objective of this bill is to decriminalize and rationalize minor offenses, aiming to promote trust-based governance for both ease of living and doing business in India.
The Bill's Statement of Objects and Reasons emphasizes the government's commitment to make India an attractive global investment destination by bolstering investor confidence. It addresses the fear of imprisonment for minor offenses, which has been a deterrent to the growth of the business ecosystem and individual confidence.
By reducing the compliance burden, the bill aims to facilitate business process reengineering and enhance the ease of living for people. Various measures, including simplification, digitization, and rationalization of compliances, are being implemented to achieve these goals.
The significant change brought about by the bill is the conversion of several fines into penalties, eliminating the need for court prosecution to administer punishments. It also decriminalizes certain offenses and reduces compliance burdens under multiple statutes, removing imprisonment as a punishment for many offenses.
Notably, all offenses under the Post Office Act, 1898, are being removed through this bill. Moreover, certain specified Acts will witness a 10% increase in fines or penalties every three years.
The bill introduces the concept of adjudicating officers to decide penalties and outlines the appellate mechanism for the same in some Acts.
Furthermore, the bill envisions the creation of the Environmental Protection Fund, which will focus on education, awareness, and research for environment protection.
Initially introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 22, 2022, the bill underwent examination by a Parliamentary Standing Committee led by PP Chaudhary.
Acts being amended through this bill include the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, and the Information Technology Act, 2000. These amendments seek to bring about significant changes in the legal landscape to foster a more conducive environment for business growth and individual well-being.
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TAGS: Lok Sabha Jan Vishwas Bill Amendment of Provisions 42 laws agriculture environment media publication decriminalizing offenses trust-based governance ease of living ease of doing business fines penalties compliance burden Post Office Act 1898 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 Public Liability Insurance Act 1991 Information Technology Act 2000 investor confidence business ecosystem adjudicating officers appellate mechanism Environmental Protection Fund.
