Bill on ponzi schemes introduced in Lok Sabha

A bill seeking to protect gullible investors from ponzi schemes was introduced in Lok Sabha Tuesday by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

The House will take up the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill for discussion and passage on Wednesday.

Members from the treasury benches and the opposition suggested to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that the Question Hour may be suspended Wednesday, the last day of the Budget Session, to take up the bill so that it can be sent to Rajya Sabha for passage after the Lok Sabha approves it.


Goyal said the bill will plug the loopholes which allow ponzi schemes to target small investors.

The bill seeks to put in place a mechanism by which such depositors can be compensated. It has incorporated recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance.

The bill will effectively tackle the menace of illicit deposit-taking activities, and prevent such schemes from duping the poor and gullible people of their hard earned savings, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said last week after the Cabinet had approved it.

The bill was initially introduced in Parliament on July 18, 2018 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance.