Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) A Bill to repeal 80 obsolete Acts and laws in Maharashtra was passed in the Legislative Assembly today, marking a significant step towards strengthening good governance and streamlining administrative processes. ​

The Maharashtra Repealing Bill, 2026 (Assembly Bill No. 17), aimed at repealing outdated Acts in the state, was introduced by Minister of General Administration Ashish Shelar. ​

After a detailed discussion, the Bill was passed by the House.​

Presenting the government’s stance, Minister Shelar said that, due to constitutional changes, state reorganisation, and the enactment of new laws, several Acts in Maharashtra had become obsolete.

He said retaining references to such outdated laws was creating ambiguity in governance. ​

To address this, the state government undertook a comprehensive review of all existing state laws and decided to repeal those no longer in use, including Acts and Regulations from the Bombay, Bengal, Central Provinces & Berar, Hyderabad and Madhya Pradesh regions.​

Minister Shelar informed the House that the total of 80 repealed laws includes 24 Bombay Acts, 8 Central Provinces & Berar Acts, 18 Hyderabad Acts, 3 Madhya Pradesh Acts and 24 Appropriation Acts. ​

Among the repealed laws are several outdated legislations such as The Bengal Alluvion and Diluvion Regulation, 1825; The Acknowledgements of Debts, Interest, Mortgages Regulation, 1827; The Broach and Kaira Encumbered Estates Act, 1877; The Bombay Abkari Act, 1878; The Borstal Schools Act, 1929; The Maharashtra Opium Smoking Act; The Bombay Fodder and Grain Control Act, 1939; The Bombay Cotton Control Act, 1942; and The Bombay Abolition of Whipping Act, 1957.​

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam informed the Assembly during Question Hour that the state government has taken a significant step toward the time‑bound implementation of the State Human Rights Commission’s (SHRC) recommendations by appointing a Nodal Officer. ​

He said the government is positive about establishing a separate budget head and an online portal to bring transparency to the process. ​

The issue was raised through a question by MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar.​

Minister Kadam said a Nodal Officer at the Deputy Secretary level has been appointed and that action will be taken on 30 cases currently pending with the Commission. ​

He said a separate budget head could be created to implement these recommendations under the Chief Minister’s guidance. ​

He added that the government is considering launching a dedicated online portal so complainants can track the status of their applications and recommendations, an initiative aimed at bringing greater clarity to administrative operations.​

–IANS

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