Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government will re-introduce the Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Bill (UPCOCB) in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
The proposed legislation on the lines of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) seeks to curb organised crime and deal strictly with those trying to foment terror or dislodge the government forcibly or through violent means.
The bill also seeks to act sternly against those using explosives or firearms or any other violent means or damaging life and property or involved in an anti-national or destructive activity.
The bill had hit a roadblock in the Legislative Council on March 13, 2018, where the Opposition is in the majority. The bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly on December 21, 2017, and was sent to the Upper House where it was turned down on March 13 and was returned to the Assembly the next day.
In the Upper House, the ruling BJP is in minority unlike in the 403-member state Assembly, where it won 325 seats (along with allies). In the 100-member Council, the BJP has just 13 members.
The Samajwadi Party has 61 members, the BSP nine, Congress two, RLD one and other parties 12. Two seats are vacant.
Earlier, in December 2017, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said that the proposed UPCOCA bill would help check crime and had sought cooperation from the Opposition parties for its passage.
Speaking on an adjournment notice on law and order in the Legislative Assembly, he had said that the bill would be a remedy for crime in the state.
Reiterating that there would be no laxity on the issue of security, corruption and law and order, Yogi had added that crime in the state was at its lowest and the people's mandate in the country was its example.
He had referred to the recent National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report and had lashed out at the state of affairs under the previous government when as many as 31 riots took place in one year and no FIRs were filed.
(With PTI inputs)
