Jan Vishwas Bill passed in Lok Sabha

The bill converts several fines to penalties, meaning that court prosecution is not necessary to administer punishments. It also removes imprisonment as a punishment for many offences. All offences under the Post Office Act, 1898 are being removed.

New Delhi: Lok Sabha passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 that seeks to promote ease of business by decriminalising minor offences by amending 183 provisions in 42 acts on Thursday.

The Bill was discussed and passed in Lok Sabha through a voice vote as Opposition members protested and raised slogans on the Manipur issue. They have been demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in Parliament on the violence in the northeastern state.

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Moving the bill for passing, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said it will promote the ease of doing business by decriminalising a number of provisions.

The bill converts several fines to penalties, meaning that court prosecution is not necessary to administer punishments. It also removes imprisonment as a punishment for many offences. All offences under the Post Office Act, 1898 are being removed.

Goyal said around 40,000 provisions and procedures which had the possibility of creating problems for people were either simplified or removed by the Narendra Modi government over the last nine years.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 22 December 2022. The Bill was sent to a Joint Committee of both Houses on 22 December 2022. The report was presented in Lok Sabha on 20 March, 2023.