Control of goondas bill withdrawn; why after 2 years, asks CLP leader
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Aradhana Mishra Mona said the state government should inform the House why the governor returned the bill after two years
LUCKNOW The UP legislative assembly on Wednesday withdrew the Uttar Pradesh Control of Goondas (Amendment) Bill passed in February 2021.
The bill passed by the state legislature was sent to the governor for assent. Under Article 175 (2) and Article 200 of the Constitution, it was returned with the governor’s message, said parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar Khanna.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Aradhana Mishra Mona said the state government should inform the House why the governor returned the bill after two years. What was the flaw in the bill due to which the governor refused to give her assent and returned it to the House for re-consideration, she asked.
Khanna said the governor returned the bill due to technical reasons and police commissionerates were constituted in UP after the state assembly passed the Control of Goondas (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The appellate authority in the bill was the same - one who will hear the appeal and dispose of the appeal as well, he said.
INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY BILL
The assembly also passed the Uttar Pradesh Inland Waterways Authority Bill, 2023. Tabling it, transport minister Dayashankar Singh said majority of the countries were facing the challenges of de-carbonization with a relatively more cautious approach. Due to environmental pollution resulting from rapid depletion of fossil fuels, increase in prices of fuel and increase in the number of vehicles, it has become necessary to adopt waterways that is a relatively cheap and pollution-free transport option as a means of tourism, he said.
The central government had declared 111 national waterways under the National Waterways Act, 2016, in which apart from Prayagraj to Haldia waterways on river Ganga, 10 other national waterways were in UP. To develop water transport and water tourism in the state it had become necessary to form an Inland Waterways Authority at the state level, he said.
SHEERA NIYANTRAN BILL
The UP Sheera Niyantran (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed in the House. Tabling the bill, excise minister Nitin Agarwal said the law had been enacted to provide for the control of storage, gradation and price of molasses produced by sugar factories in UP as well as regulation and supply of molasses.
‘GST bill associated with online gaming’
The UP Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 was also passed in the Assembly. Parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the bill was associated with online gaming. Earlier, no money was associated with online games as these were termed as game of skill, but several experts were of the view that they were not game of skill, but a game of chance and money was involved in the game, he said.
In UP, there were no casinos and horse race course, but a large number of people were involved in online betting/gambling. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh used to get mere 4% tax from people who organised online games, but with the amendment, the tax has been increased to 28%. Companies that organize online gaming have to register in UP.
