After UP, Madhya Pradesh To Bring Law To Recover Damages From Rioters

The Madhya Pradesh government today announced that it will bring a law to ensure the constitution of tribunals having civil court powers to adjudicate the claims for damages to public and private properties and recover them from rioters and protesters involved in such incidents.

Under the law, city-specific tribunals will be constituted for such incidents in the respective areas, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra told reporters.

"The Madhya Pradesh government is going to bring the Prevention of Private and Public Properties Damage and Recovery Act to ensure realisation of damages from those who damage public and individual persons' properties during incidents of stone-pelting and riots," he said.

These tribunals will include officials of the ranks of director general (of police), inspector general and secretary, and will have the powers of civil court and their decision could only be challenged in the high court, said Mr Mishra, who is also the state government's spokesperson.

District collectors will be responsible for furnishing the information about damage to a public property before these tribunals, he said.

The information regarding damage to individual properties will be provided by the owner concerned, he said.

The tribunal will have recovery powers like the ''Land Revenue Code'' and it will settle such cases within a period of three months, he said.

"Those involved in riots and incidents of stone-pelting will not be spared," the minister said.

Last year, the Uttar Pradesh government brought a similar ordinance for the recovery of damages to public and private properties from rioters and protesters through setting up of tribunals.

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