In a landmark move, the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the ‘MP Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill-2024’, becoming the first state in India to take cues from the central government’s Jan Vishwas Act, 2023.
MP (Amendment of Provisions) Jan Vishwas Bill
Introduced under the leadership of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the bill aims to ease the daily lives of citizens and entrepreneurs by streamlining legal processes, ensuring transparency, and promoting good governance, so that the common people can do their work without any hassle, stated a government release.
According to the release, the bill amends 64 sections in eight acts of five departments of Madhya Pradesh which include Co-operation, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, Labor and Urban Development, Energy and Housing departments.
The release further stated, “These include reforms like converting imprisonment into fine, converting punishment into penalty and adding compounding provisions. Additionally, 920 outdated acts were eliminated.”
MP CM Speaks
Chief Minister Yadav emphasized that the MP Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill-2024 would enhance transparency in governance while boosting investment and employment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh. He described the bill’s introduction as the beginning of a new chapter of development and good governance in the state.
The Chief Minister called the bill a significant step towards improving the state’s ease of doing business and ease of living rankings. He stated that the bill would open a new chapter of good governance and development, driving increased investment and creating more employment opportunities.
“The government has made several important reforms in the Bill. Minor offences will now be penalized with fines instead of imprisonment. The legal framework has been updated according to recent needs by removing old and complex laws. The bill will give confidence to the public and entrepreneurs that the government stands with them and wants to make their work easier,” the release said.
Provisions under the Bill
The release added that the government implemented several reforms under CM Yadav’s leadership, including the abolition of 920 outdated and irrelevant laws, which aims to simplify and expedite the legal process.
The MP Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill-2024 has decriminalized 183 provisions, rationalized penalties, and simplified compliance procedures, aiming to further enhance the state’s business climate.
Madhya Pradesh has consistently ranked among the top states in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and was recently recognized in the ‘Top Achievers’ category of the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2022 rankings. To further bolster the business ecosystem, the state eliminated 2,483 regulatory requirements across 37 departments, including 831 business-related and 1,622 citizen-related processes, as part of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) initiative.
The MP Jan Vishwas Bill-2024 draws inspiration from the central government’s Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, which decriminalized 183 provisions across 42 central laws. The bill aims to decriminalize minor offenses, rationalize penalties, and eliminate regulatory barriers, benefiting both citizens and entrepreneurs.
