In its Budget session commencing on Monday, Uttarakhand is set to bring a Bill on the lines of the Bills for the recovery of damages to property brought by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Under this legislation, losses to public and government properties incurred during protests and strikes will be recovered from the accused involved in the disturbance.
The Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Damage Recovery Bill is likely to be discussed by the State’s Business Advisory Committee over the next two-three days. Later, it will be tabled in the Assembly, sources in the State government said. After the Bill is passed, it will be forwarded for the Governor’s consent.
A senior official involved in the drafting of the Bill said that a tribunal, headed by a retired judge, would investigate the charges against the identified accused, after the State’s complaint. The assessment and orders for damage recovery would be issued by the tribunal after detailed discussions with the affected parties, both government and otherwise.
“Those guilty of causing riots and other disturbances will be liable to pay compensation under this Bill,” the official said.
The decision to have a Bill to recover damages to public property came after the violence in Haldwani in Uttarakhand earlier this month, which left at least five persons dead and over 100 injured. Violence ensued after the district administration and civic body demolished a mosque and madrasa built on nazool (government) land in an anti-encroachment drive.
According to the police, several government and private vehicles were burnt by the rioting mob, which also set a police station on fire, leading to a curfew for over 12 days. The civic body in Haldwani has served a damage recovery notice of ₹2.44 crore to the accused, Abdul Mallik. The property of the accused and his aides were later attached by the police.
Soon after the violence, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in a rally in Haridwar, had announced the construction of a police station on the nazool land freed during the anti-encroachment drive. Mr. Dhami had also said that the State government would recover the amount towards damages caused during violence from the individuals who were part of the mob.
