Uttarakhand: UCC Bill to get Cabinet nod after completion of legislative work on draft
Feb 04, 2024
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], February 4 : The Uniform Civil Code Bill will be brought for the approval of the Uttarakhand Cabinet after the completion of legislative work on the UCC report, said sources in the government.
According to the sources, the Cabinet meeting will be held for this before or during the Assembly session.
The UCC drafting committee, led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, submitted the draft to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday.
In the crucial Cabinet meeting, the draft report of the Uniform Civil Code will get the approval, after which the government will present the UCC Bill in the Assembly on February 6.
On Saturday, under the chairmanship of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dhami, a cabinet meeting was held in the State Secretariat to discuss the draft report on the Uniform Civil Code.
The UCC proposes uniform civil laws for all communities in the state.
The draft was handed over to the Chief Minister by the five-member committee headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
Once implemented, Uttarakhand will become the first Indian state after independence to adopt the UCC.
At an event organised at the Mukhya Sevak Sadan at the Chief Minister's Camp Office, Dhami on Friday said, "We promised our people to bring the UCC in Uttarakhand before the Assembly goes into session. The rollout of the UCC will be in line with a resolution adopted by the BJP."
Taking to his social media handle on Friday, CM Dhami said it was an important day for the people of the state as the UCC will help realise the vision of 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat'.
The UCC drafting panel also comprised retired justice Pramod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, former Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Shatrughan Singh and Vice Chancellor of Doon University, Surekha Dangwal.
The drafting panel was given a total of four extensions, the latest being 15 days in January this year.
The UCC will provide a legal framework for uniform marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance laws for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.
The passage of the UCC Bill will mark the fulfillment of a major promise made by the BJP to the people of the state in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls.
The elections saw the BJP score a landslide victory and secure a second consecutive term at the helm.
At its very first meeting in the second term, in March 2022, the Dhami government decided to constitute a committee to prepare a draft for the UCC.
