President's nod to state bills pending since 2020

President Draupadi Murmu has granted assent to two bills - one each from Punjab and Telangana - which have been pending with the central government since 2020.

The Punjab Bhondedar, Butemar, Dohlidar, Insar Miadi, Mukarraridar, Mundhimar, Panahi Qadeem, Saunjidar, or Taraddadkar (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2020, was passed by the then Congress government in the state in 2020 and later approved by the Aam Aadmi Party government to grant proprietary rights to more than 11,000 tenants occupying 4,000 acres of land spread across Punjab.

The Code of Criminal Procedure (Telangana Amendment) Bill, 2020, was introduced by K Chandrashekhar Rao government. The amendment was introduced after a state-level judicial officers conference in 2016 suggested that the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 be amended to impose a fine on the person standing surety for securing bail in cases of grave offences if he or she failed to produce the accused on the date fixed by the court in grave offences.


On the time taken for giving clearance to the bills, a central government official said: "State legislations are examined in consultation with central ministries and departments to overcome repugnancy with central laws, if any, deviation from national or central policy, and legal and constitutional validity."

Punjab's law, according to the state, is part of agrarian reforms to empower tillers of such land who belong mostly to the economically and socially weaker sections of the society.