Anti-conversion law by March 2004: Law minister

By Chaitanya Shukla

Gandhinagar, Dec. 24: The state government plans to formulate the complete set of rules for the controversial anti-conversion law by next March.

State law minister Ashok Bhatt told the media persons here on Wednesday that the delay in the implementation of the bill, which was passed in February 2003, is because the rules were not in place.

It’s ironical that chief minister Narendra Modi has proclaimed the Bill as one of the major achievements of the state government in the past one year. But in reality it’s akin to a toothless canine that can only bark and not bite for want of enforcement.

The delay has been attributed to formulation of a proper set of rules after studying bills passed by other states. The law will be in place by February-March 2004, he stated.

Being hyped as a major social reform initiative by the Modi government, to "guard the right of citizens to follow religion of own choice", the bill doesn’t have a set of stipulations that will ensure its effective implementation. Without clarifying whether governor’s or President’s nod will be required before implementation, Bhatt said that the state government is currently studying the conversion bills promulgated by Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu governments. Once the exercise is over, the state government will frame its guidelines, he said.

Commenting on major achievements of the state in fields of justice, law and parliamentary affairs in the past one year, Mr Bhatt said about 3.8-lakh cases were resolved through 7,556 Lok Adalats. More than 19,500 legal workshops held in the state disbursed a total of Rs 26.7 crores compensation under the accident claims, he added.

After the Supreme Court and Union government missive, 123 fast track courts have been operationalised in the state and by end of January 2004 all the 166 courts will be set up, he said. Mr Bhatt further said all the vacant positions in the state judiciary will be filled up in couple of months.

Another initiative of the state law and justice department is to set up district courts in all the districts, the minister said. Temporary district courts have been set up in Navsari, Dahod, Anand, Patan, Gandhinagar, Narmada and Porbandar districts, which were devoid of it before 2003. Currently, joint district judges have been appointed in all these courts and once the construction of buildings is completed district judges will be appointed, Mr Bhatt said. The process is likely to take a few months.