Gujarat UCC Drafting Panel Meets CM Bhupendra Patel

Gandhinagar : The five-member committee formed by the Gujarat government to assess the need to have a common civil code, and to prepare a draft law for the same, paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar on Wednesday. 

The Chairman of the committee and retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai and members retired senior IAS  C.L. Meena, Advocate  R.C. Kodekar as well as former Vice Chancellor Dakshesh Thakar and social activist Geeta Shroff met the Chief Minister.

This was the first time that the Chairman and members of the committee met the Chief Minister after the state government formed this committee.

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi has decided to implement the Uniform Civil Code nationwide for equal rights for all citizens of the country.For this purpose, the State Government has constituted this committee to examine the necessity of UCC and prepare a draft for the law.

The five-member committee  began its consultation process on Tuesday even as the state government extended the time limit for the panel to submit its report by another 45 days.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had announced the formation of the committee last month. The committee is headed by retired judge of the Supreme Court, Ranjana Desai. Four other members of the committee include retired IAS officer C L Meena, senior advocate R C Kodekar, former vice-chancellor of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University Dakshesh Thaker, and social activist Gita Shroff. The committee was formed with a deadline to submit its report in 45 days.

On Tuesday, the committee convened its meeting at its office at Karmayogi Bhavan in the state capital and also launched a portal – http://uccgujarat.in – where residents of Gujarat, government agencies, non-government organisations, social groups and communities, religious institutions, political parties and others can register their suggestions.

Two sub-committees have been formed to carry out public consultation and prepare the draft. The committee members will soon start visiting different districts for the public consultation. As per a PTI report, Justice Desai said, “We will focus more on equal rights to women and care for children…Marriages and divorces will have to be registered, but rituals of marriage are not to be disturbed.”

Registration of all marriages and divorces is the only requirement, and divorces will have to be carried out as per the law, she said, adding that a draft for the law of inheritance and live-in relationships will be prepared soon.

“The task of drafting will start soon. And we hope that it is completed as early as possible…But before that, public consultation will be done with common people, religious leaders and press… If we want to bring a law, (it is important to know) what do the people have to say,” Justice Desai said.