Law soon to make guilty pay: Sukhbir

Following acts of violence by a heterodox religious sect, the Punjab government has decided to recover the cost of damage to property through new legislation.

Following acts of violence by a heterodox religious sect, the Punjab government has decided to recover the cost of damage to property through new legislation.

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On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said: “Anyone found damaging public property on any pretext will have to pay (in accordance with the law) for the loss,” said Badal, who is in also charge of the home affairs and justice department.

Badal said the country was seeing a rise in violent protests.

“Punjab has also witnessed (many) instances of lawlessness in the past 10 years or so.

There is a strong feeling among law-abiding citizens that those who damage public property get away with (the offence) while it is the (blameless) taxpayer who has to pay for the (loss).

There is an urgent need to rectify this situation by providing effective legal monetary deterrence against such acts,” Badal said.