All archaic laws to be scrapped in two years: Govt

Lok Sabha today passed a bill to repeal 35 Acts with government saying another legislation will be moved shortly for repealing 741 more archaic laws and within two years all such redundant laws will be scrapped.
"This is an initial step taken by the new government. We will see in a span of one or two years...The statute book will be cleared. And there will be no confusion as far as disposal of cases are concerned", Law Minister Sadananda Gowda said.
He was replying to a debate on 'The Repealing and Amending Bill 2014', which was later passed by voice vote.

The government initially proposed to repeal 36 laws but Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 was withdrawn from the list following observations by the Standing Committee.
Government is also set to bring a new bill in Parliament soon to repeal another set of over 741 obsolete laws, which have outlived their utility, Gowda said.
"It is true that nearly 1,741 redundant laws, which are almost dead laws, are in existence. We have already prepared a draft Bill for repealing nearly 741 Appropriation Acts. That is already ready with me. I will take it to the Cabinet for its approval," he said.

Gowda further said another Bill is already there before Rajya Sabha for 79 repealing and amending Acts. That is also being taken up immediately.

"It will be coming to this House as early as possible, when it is passed by that House. So, as far as repealing and amendments are concerned, we are working on it," he said.
"We will see that within a short span of one or two years, we hope so, all these redundant laws which are not in use, the so-called dead laws, are taken care of. Certainly, the Statute Book will be cleared so that there should not be any confusion in the process of disposing of cases," the Minister said.

"These laws at present are of no use and such dead laws create confusion if they continue in the statute books," he said.