Parl passes Bills to repeal 1,053 redundant laws

Parliament on Wednesday passed two Bills to repeal 1,053 old laws, which had become redundant legislations.

The Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill 2015 that seeks to repeal 758 old appropriation acts, which have lost relevance, and The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015, to repeal 295 enactments and to amend certain other enactments were passed by the Rajya Sabha by voice vote.

The two Bills were passed by Lok Sabha in May last year.

Moving the Bills for passage, Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said: “The government has identified 1,741 obsolete laws for repealing. This is the fourth Bill, as two Bills have earlier been passed by Parliament.”

He said: “As many as 1,159 laws have been repealed so far, which have become redundant. This is a record in the history of legislative activity of Parliament.” Earlier members from Opposition parties also supported the Bills and sought their passage. Appropriation Acts are intended to operate for a limited period of time – authorising expenditures for the duration of one financial year.

Though these Acts are not usually included in any list of Central Acts, either by the Law Ministry, or elsewhere, these laws still technically remain in the books.