Friday, 22 December 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the expert committee on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will submit its report in January next year. The CM told media persons on Thursday that the government will convene a special session of the State assembly either in January or February, 2024 on UCC after going through the recommendations of the expert committee.
The statement of the CM assumes significance as the extended term of the expert committee on UCC is ending on January 27, 2023. Considering the importance of the issue the State government will go through the draft submitted by the expert committee and then prepare the UCC bill to be tabled in the special session of the assembly. The move of Uttarakhand on UCC is being keenly watched by the union government and other States of the country especially the BJP ruled ones. The draft of the UCC prepared by the State will act as the template for the union government on the subject.
In the run up to the Assembly elections of 2022, the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had promised that the BJP government would bring a uniform civil code in the state and in the very first meeting of the state cabinet after swearing in of the new government last year, a decision to constitute an expert committee was made.
The expert committee constituted on May 27, 2022 is headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. Justice (retd) Pramod Kohli, social worker Manu Gaur, former chief secretary of Uttarakhand Shatrughna Singh and vice chancellor of Doon University Surekha Dangwal are the members of the committee. The committee has been mandated to examine all existing and relevant laws regarding marriage, divorce, right for property, inheritance, adoption and protection for implementation of UCC in the state. The subcommittees of the UCC have held discussions with various religions, communities, stakeholders and sections.
