Two Bengal public safety laws to come into force next week: Suvendu

Kolkata, Jul 10 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said Governor RN Ravi has given his assent to the two public safety bills passed by the state Assembly recently and that the new laws will come into force next week. Adhikari also said the committee for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, has started working and that he was hopeful of introducing it in the Assembly very soon. "The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which have been passed in the Assembly recently, will be implemented in the state from Monday," Adhikari told reporters after chairing an administrative review meeting in Murshidabad district. The two Bills were passed in the Assembly on June 29. A person can be preventively detained for up to 12 months under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, for alleged involvement in anti-social activities deemed to threaten public safety or disturb public peace and order. The second Bill, the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026, provides for recovery of compensation from persons found responsible for arson, vandalism and damage to public or private property. The amended Bill, originally the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act, 1972, also provides for the constitution of a claims commission to adjudicate compensation claims arising from damage to public and private properties. The offences covered under the two Bills have been aligned with the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. On UCC, Adhikari said, "The committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Ranjana Desai. The Cabinet has given its approval and a notification has been issued in this regard. The committee has started working. We are hopeful to introduce this in the Assembly soon." Adhikari said. On July 2, the state cabinet approved the formation of a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Desai to examine the draft UCC Bill, taking the BJP government's key agenda a step toward framing a UCC law in the state. PTI SCH MNB