UP Council select committee approves Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Act bill

By Namita Bajpai|

Express News Service |

Published: 06th March 2018 07:05 PM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (File | PTI)

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Act (UPCOCA), the bill to contain organised crime in the state was okayed by the select committee of the Vidhan Parishad here on Tuesday. It was

already passed in State Assembly on December 17, last year.

UPCOCA bill was referred to the select committee of Council as it could not be ratified by the Council members on December 23, 2017. After being approved by the committee, now it would be tabled in

the upper house of state legislature again for discussion and passage.

The 11-member select committee of Vidhan Parishad, headed by CM Adityanath Yogi and having SP state chief Naresh Uttam and Balram Yadav as members,

The bill was introduced in the state Assembly in winter session after being approved by the state cabinet. With ruling party enjoying a humongous majority in lower house passed the bill easily despite a few objections raised by the opposition.

However, in Council, where the Samajwadi Party has a majority, got it referred it to select committee. Even on Tuesday, the opposition MLCs objected to Select committee’s approval to the bill without even accepting the recommendations made by the opposition parties. ``The committee's recommendations

need to be discussed in great detail in the upper house which has the final say on bill’s passage, said SP MLC Shatrudh Pratap Singh.

Already raising a finger of suspicion on the ongoing police encounter of criminals in the state, the Samajwadi Party leaders, including party chief Akhilesh Yadav, have been opposing the UPCOCA bill

calling it draconian and suspecting that it would be used by the dispensation to settle scores with political rivals of the BJP. The entire opposition has been batting for the existing laws to control crime and

improve law and order scenario in the state.