Protesters have to pay market price of damaged property

Vandalising public or private property during agitations and protests will soon invite heavy penalty like market price of the damaged assets and jail term of up to ten years, with the Home Ministry proposing to amend the relevant laws.
In a notification, the Home Ministry has invited suggestions from general public and institutions for proposed amendments in the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, 1984.
The proposed amendments seek to deter the prospective violators from vandalising and destroying public/private property during agitations and other forms of protests. The proposed amendments will also deter the office-bearers of these organisations.

Sources said government plans to incorporate provisions for heavy penalty like market price of the damaged assets on the persons who vandalise property and office-bearers of the organisation which calls the protests and agitations.
Those who abet people to damage public, private property or machinery would also be booked under the proposed law.
The Supreme Court had set up a Committee under the Chairmanship of Justice K T Thomas, former Judge of the Supreme Court, to examine modalities to be adopted to make the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 (PDPP Act, 1984) more effective and also suggest suitable changes, which could make the statute more meaningful.

The Committee concluded that the present law was inadequate and ineffective to deal with the increasing number of instances of public property damage and made some recommendations for amendment in the Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act, 1984.

The Home Ministry has decided to accept the recommendations of the Thomas Committee.
The suggestions/comments on the proposed draft PDPP Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015 from the Public and other stakeholders are solicited on or before 20th July 2015 and the same may be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, CS Division, 5th Floor, NDCC Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi-110001.

The suggestions could also be sent on e-mail: dircs1-mha@mha.Gov.In.