Cabinet gives nod to repeal over 700 archaic laws

NEW DELHI: Over 700 Appropriation Acts which have lost relevance and are clogging the statute books are set to be repealed as the government today cleared a proposal to bring a bill in this regard.

Continuing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy of cleansing the statute books of irrelevant laws, the Union Cabinet today approved a fresh bill to repeal 758 Appropriation Acts, including Railways (appropriation) Acts.

A large number of Appropriation Acts passed in the past several years have lost their meaning but these are still shown on statue books. Appropriation Acts are intended to operate for a limited period of time -- authorising expenditures for the duration of one financial year, the Law Commission has said in one of its latest reports on the subject.

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.

The Bill also provides repeal of 111 State Appropriation Acts enacted by Parliament between 1950 and 1976. These Acts provide budgetary support to states and were enacted when the states were under President's Rule. After 1976, the right to repeal such Appropriation Acts was given to states.

The proposed bill is also in consonance with the recommendations of the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha to have a repeal clause in the Appropriation Acts.

However, such clause shall be provided when the enactment of the Appropriation Act, 2016 is undertaken where under the Appropriation Acts of 2013 shall be repealed.

"The repealing of Appropriation Acts whose terms have ended will in no way cause any negative impact on actions that were validly taken under these Acts," the Law Ministry proposal to the Cabinet said.

The Legislative Department of the Law Ministry had also proposed that the repeal mechanism in vogue in the United Kingdom to systematically repeal Appropriation Acts usually two sessions in arrears may be followed.

Lok Sabha had on Wednesday passed a bill to repeal 35 archaic Acts.