Bill on riots to go online

In a week’s time, a legislation that proposes to arm the Government with special powers to deal with communal riots in the country will...

In a week’s time, a legislation that proposes to arm the Government with special powers to deal with communal riots in the country will be posted on the Internet by the Ministry of Home Affairs for wider consultations.

Disclosing this here today, Union Minister for Home Affairs Shivraj Patil said the Bill, promised by the Congress in its manifesto, was a key legislation, and ‘‘we want to hold wider consultations before placing its final version in Parliament.’’ Patil stated this at the inaugural session of a two-day conference of state minority commissions, convened by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM).

The government, he said, would also introduce the Bill for debate at four seminars, to be held in various parts of the country. Consultations, he said, would continue for at least a year before the Bill is finalised.

Although Patil did not give details of the Bill, he said it would have special procedures for investigations and speedy trials to deal with the aftermath of communal outbreaks.

Besides, the Bill would have provisions for conduct of court hearings on a day-to-day basis. The role of the police will be more pro-active, and it would be mandatory for the law-enforcing agencies to set up special centres in riot-affected areas for lodging of FIRs. The Bill also proposes to make it compulsory for authorities to set up relief camps for the affected community.