Sunday, 30 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The expert committee set up by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government for recommending ways for implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand is likely to get another extension. The tenure of the committee is ending on May 27 and it has requested the State government to give it an extension. The expert committee is seeking extension of term since it has not prepared the final draft of the report on the implementation of the UCC in the State. The home department has started work on the proposal of the committee and an extension is likely to be given after the approval of the chief minister.
The State government constituted the expert committee headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai on May 27, 2022 and directed it to submit its report within six months. After the end of its term on November 27, 2022 it was given an extension of six months. Justice (retd) Pramod Kohli, social worker Manu Gaur, former chief secretary of Uttarakhand Shatrughan Singh and vice chancellor of Doon University Surekha Dangwal are the members of the expert 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. During the last one year the committee has sought suggestions from the people of all sections of the society and the members of the committee have toured different parts of the State. At present the committee is learnt to be in a process of drafting its report which is likely to take at least two months.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the run up for the assembly the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had promised had 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.
