The article “Legislate it!” by M J Antony (July 28) alludes to a major flaw in the administration of our laws. We have the dubious reputation of not only having the largest number of laws in the world but also of enacting the most intricate ones like the Indian Companies Act and the Income Tax Act. However, when it comes to implementation, the government policy seems to be that of “legislate and forget”.
Two interrelated obstacles lead to the failure of fruition of the edicts. Many such laws are too rigid to act upon. If all the provisions of the Factories Act, 1948, were to be followed, the work in a plant would come to a grinding halt. This induces avoidance. The second factor is the attitude of the law enforcement authorities. Instead of taking measures against avoidable neglect of the rules, they are prepared to overlook the infringements for a price. The harsher the penalties, the higher the “settlement” price. A factory manager should consider himself lucky if he escapes litigation, even after paying the “price” for a fatal accident caused in spite of adhering to all the safety provisions. Ignorance of the beneficiaries about the application of the laws also adds to poor implementation. Most of the poor, rural and uneducated populace is unaware of the recently enacted empowering legislations on child labour, domestic violence, rural employment and the like.
Y G Chouksey, Pune
