The Tripura government will soon issue an ordinance to amend and repeal several old laws.
The state says this will make it easier to do business.
Industries Department Secretary Kiran Gitte announced this on Thursday.
He spoke at the opening of a regional workshop on decriminalisation reforms for Northeastern states, held in Agartala.
Key points
- A proposal will go to the state Cabinet in the second week of December.
- Several laws will be amended, and four Acts will be repealed.
- In the first phase, six Acts were repealed and four were amended.
- The state says reforms helped it attract 41 educational institutions.
What is changing in the state's laws?
An ordinance is a legal order that the government can issue after the Cabinet approves it.
Gitte said the plan will follow this path.
Several Acts are proposed for amendment.
These include the Tripura Agricultural Produce Market Act, Tripura Housing Board Act, Municipal Act, and Tripura Panchayat Act.
The list also includes the VAT Act, Fire and Emergency Services Act, and Tripura Jal Board Act.
Amending a law means changing some of its rules.
Four Acts will be repealed, which means they will be removed completely.
Three of them come under the Education Department, and one under the Agriculture Department.
So why is the state making these changes?
Gitte said the state wants to remove outdated rules that no longer suit the economy. He described these as archaic laws.
Decriminalisation refers to reforms that reduce criminal penalties in some laws.
The state says its reforms have helped it improve its position.
Gitte said Tripura moved from 29th rank to the top position in the country's reform rankings.
What did the central government official say?
Rakesh Kumar Prajapati is Director of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
The department works under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
He said manufacturing did not reach its desired growth, even after the economic reforms of 1991.
He said a comprehensive Ease of Doing Business policy was missing.
Prajapati added that the reform agenda launched in 2014-15 brought big changes to India's industry.
He cited the mobile phone industry as an example of strong growth.
What happens next for the proposal?
The proposal will first go before the state Cabinet in the second week of December.
Only after approval will the ordinance be promulgated.
- 1Proposal goes to CabinetThe proposal will first go before the state Cabinet in the second week of December.
- 2Cabinet approvesAn ordinance is a legal order the government can issue after the Cabinet approves it.
- 3Ordinance is promulgatedOnly after approval will the ordinance be promulgated.
- 4Acts amended or repealedSeveral Acts will be amended, and four Acts will be repealed, meaning removed completely.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Explainer
What happened before
- In the first phase, the state repealed six Acts and amended four others.
- The state moved from 29th rank to the top position in the country's reform rankings.
Why it matters
The state says the reforms helped it attract businesses and 41 educational institutions.
What to watch next
- The proposal goes to the state Cabinet in the second week of December.
- An ordinance will be issued only after the Cabinet approves it.
