With an aim to providing quick redressal to commercial disputes, the Yogi Government has decided to set up ‘Commercial Courts’ which would come up in 13 divisions besides it was also decided to set up social media communication hub to propagate government’s policies. These decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting held in lucknow on Tuesday which was chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In view of the Model Code of Conduct being in force because of Urban local Bodies (UlB) elections, a government spokesman did not hold the briefing but a senior minister said that the cabinet approved the setting up of Commercial Courts in Uttar Pradesh. “These courts will be set up in 13 divisions after amending an appropriate Act. The objective of Commercial Court will be to provide quick redressal to commercial disputes. Proceedings will be managed by Judges and Associate Judges with extensive commercial expertise and experience,” he said.
Many states have commercial courts like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Telangana. “The Commercial Court Act of these states have been incorporated in the state’s version of Commercial Court,” he said.
The Commercial Appellate Division of High Court Act 2015 allows states to set up separate commercial courts. These courts could be set up at District headquarters and would be empowered to settle disputes of a value of at least Rs.1 crore and above. “The Act attempts to cover a broad range of disputes within the scope of a ‘commercial dispute’. The definition broadly covers commercial disputes arising from ordinary transactions of merchants, bankers, financiers and traders such as those relating to mercantile documents”, the minister said.
In another decision, the government decided to set up social media monitoring hub with headquarters in lok Bhawan to keep a tab on impressionable youths.
Sources say that the focus of the cell will be on ‘sentiment analysis’ that is, using a program that could filter comments and posts on social networking sites and chat rooms to identity those that are filled with hatred. This hub will also be used to propagate schemes and polices of the state government. The hub will be monitored by Union Government owned Broadcast Engineering Consultants India limited (BECIl) fo which the government allocated Rs 1,58 crore.
Black buck: Government has decided to develop Meja forest range in Allahabad as Black Buck reserve area which will come up in 126.12 hectares of land.
Wood-based industry: With an aim to promoting wood-based industry, the state government has simplified rules by allowing people’s participation in setting up new saw mills. The rules will applicable for setting up of veneer or plywood industry in the state. A source said that proposed act has been amended under which agriculture-based trees like eucalyptus would be used for wood-making industry. This will help farmers as they will not be forced to take these trees out of state.
Road: The Cabinet gave its approval for strengthening and renovation of Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur highway under PPP model.