Uttarakhand to bring bill for recovery of damages caused to properties during protests

After passing the highly controversial Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Uttarakhand government is set to introduce another bill which will surely start another debate. This time, the bill is for recovering the compensation for the damage done to properties during protests. The bill is thought to be introduced in the legislative assembly during the upcoming budget session which begins on February 26.

Under this bill, the losses or damage incurred during protests and strikes will be recovered from the protestors/accused involved in the disturbance. To compensate for the losses, a tribunal will be set up under the chairmanship of a retired district judge. This bill is also similar to a bill which was passed by Uttar Pradesh back in 2020.

The move to introduce such a bill comes days after the Haldwani violence in which six protestors and several people, including policemen and media persons were injured. This violence which began on February 8^th when a mob of muslim people started the violence over the demolition of an illegally built madrasa in the Banbhoolpura area, with locals hurling stones and petrol bombs at municipal workers and police, forcing many police personnel to seek refuge at a police station, which the mob then set on fire.

According to the police, several government and private vehicles were also burnt by the rioting mob, 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.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami held a rally soon after the violence in which he said that he (state government) will recover all losses suffered by the state from all the people who were a part of the mob.  

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