The Uttar Pradesh Assembly will take up the controversial Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Act (UPCOCA) Bill, 2017, on March 27 to pass it for a second time within four monthsafter it was rejected by the legislative Council.
Speaker Hriday Narain Dikshit announced on Tuesday that the UPCOCA Bill would be introduced in the Assembly on March 27 and will be passed the same day.
Earlier, Principal secretary (Assembly) Pradeep Kumar Dubey announced in the Assembly that the UPCOCA Bill along with another Bill related to Co-operative were returned by legislative Council.
Once the Bill is passed by the Assembly for a second time, it will have a safe passage as assent of legislative Council is not required where Samajwadi Party is in majority.
The Bill will then be sent to Governor Ram Naik for approval. The Governor could also refer the Bill to the President as the Act would infringe into Central laws.
UPCOCA Bill was introduced in the Assembly for the first time in December, 2017 to enact a stringent law on the lines of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to combat land and mining mafia and organised crimes in the state. There are 28 provisions in the Bill which are not present in the existing Gangsters Act.
Kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, manufacturing illicit liquor and its sale, acquiring contracts on the basis of muscle power, organised exploitation of forest produce, trade in wildlife, fake medicines, grabbing of government and private properties, and ‘rangdari’ (extortion) will come under the ambit of the new law.
Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati, had said the Bill could be misused to settle political scores and feared that it might be used to suppress the minorities, poor and downtrodden sections of the society.
The Bill had a provision to take over properties amassed through organised crime with court’s permission during the course of investigation in order to check criminal elements from taking advantage of it. The property would be confiscated by the government after conviction of the accused.
Special courts would be constituted for hearing of cases lodged under the provisions of this bill and that a state- level organised crime control authority was proposed to monitor gangs involved in organised crime.