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Uttarakhand: UCC committee submits draft report to CM Dhami
The committee has been studying relevant laws regulating personal civil matters of residents of Uttarakhand to prepare the draft and suggest changes in existing laws on the subject
The five-member committee formed for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) submitted its draft report to the Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his residence on Friday morning.
The report was handed over to the CM by Ranjana Desai, a retired judge of the Supreme Court and chairperson of the committee.
Other members of the committee who were present included Pramod Kohli, retired judge, Manu Gaur, social activist, Shatrughan Singh, retired IAS officer and Surekha Dangwal, vice-chancellor Doon University.
The committee has been studying relevant laws regulating personal civil matters of residents of Uttarakhand to prepare the draft and suggest changes in existing laws on the subject that include marriage, divorce, property rights, succession/inheritance, adoption, maintenance, custody and guardianship.
“Finally, this auspicious day has come. After Ram temple consecration, this promise has also been fulfilled. I also want to thank PM Modi. Finally, work has started on UCC for which the people of this country had been waiting for a long time”, Dhami said after receiving the report.
Dhami said the state government will study the legal aspects of the report and after that, it will be tabled in the state assembly on February 6.
Also Read: Uttarakhand convenes assembly session from Feb 5 to discuss Uniform Civil Code
“As per our promise during 2022 assembly polls, we formed a five-member committee after we came to power. The committee also formed two sub-committees for wider public consultation. People across the state, even in the remote border areas like Mana were consulted. The committee also launched a web portal (for seeking suggestions)”, he said.
“Over 2.33 lakh suggestions were received and around 10 % of the state’s population participated in the interactions with the committee. This is the first time such a wider consultation has been held. The committee held 72 meetings to prepare this draft”, Dhami added.
Dhami also expressed his gratitude to the committee saying they worked really hard.
Reacting to the submission of the report, Congress state president Karan Mahara said that UCC has been an election issue of the BJP, and they have been raising it again and again, like this time before Lok Sabha elections. This is being brought up again to divert attention from the important issues of the country and the state”.
He said Opposition parties were not taken into confidence on this important subject, nor has the UCC committee shared this draft with the Opposition till now.
“There have been no extensive discussions as it is being claimed”, he said.
Meanwhile, security arrangements have been tightened in the state.
Additional director general of police (law and order) AP Anshuman has directed all district police in charges (SSPs and SPs) to be on alert in view of the possibility of protests, and demonstrations by some organisations against the submission of the UCC draft report.
The Uttarakhand government has convened a session of the legislative assembly from February 5 to discuss the implementation of the UCC in the state.
The UCC draft will be tabled in the legislative assembly on February 6.
UCC refers to a common set of laws that will subsume customary laws across faiths and tribes and govern issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance.
According to the Constitution, it is a part of the non-justiciable directive principles of state policy.
In the run-up to the state assembly elections in February 2022, CM Dhami had announced that implementation of UCC will be the first decision of the BJP-led government if voted to power.
Uttarakhand has 13.9 % Muslim population according to 2011 census, mostly in the Terai area.
