Law to recover damages to public property from vandals soon: Sukhbir Singh

A day after he expressed concern over Saturday's violence in the state by Dera Sacha Sauda sympathisers, Punjab's deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh  Badal today said the state government was working on a legislation for recovery of damages to public property from those who indulge in such vandalism.

"We are almost ready with the draft bill and after taking legal opinion from the state's advocate general intend to enact a law," Badal, who is also the President of ruling Shiromani Akal Dal, said.

Many parts of Punjab, including Moga, Ferozepur, Mansa and Bathinda besides some parts of Haryana were hit by violence on
Saturday after a fresh murder case was filed by CBI against
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Under the proposed law, anyone found damaging public property under any pretext will have to pay for the losses suffered, he said.

"An amount equivalent to the loss suffered due to such damage would be recovered from whoever is found to be responsible for it," said Badal, son of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Sukhbir, who also holds the charge of home department,  said in a statement here that the country had seen "an alarming trend and tendency of causing damage to public property during mass protests".

The deputy chief minster said that the new legislation would be in addition to the existing laws against vandalism and violent protesters.

"The normal provisions of law in such matters will continue to remain in force. But once the draft bill becomes an act, the amount equivalent to the extent of damage caused by someone would be recovered from him or her even if that means auctioning his or her personal property or slapping a legal fine equivalent to the damage inflicted," he said.

He said Punjab has also seen "some instances of this lawlessness over the past ten years or so".

"There is a strong feeling amongst the law abiding citizens that those who take law in their own hands and damage public property generally get away with it while it is the common man who has to pay for its restoration through taxes. 

There is an urgent need to rectify this situation by providing effective legal and monetary deterrence against such acts," said Badal.

Badal said as elected representatives of the people, the government has an obligation to protect the property which
actually belongs to the people because it is with their money that assets like buses, trains, offices or other infrastructure of public facility are created.

"We are the trustees of public property and will bring in an enabling law to put the burden of restoration of damaged assets on those who are responsible for such damage," said the deputy chief minister.

Protesting registration of the fresh case against the Sirsa based Dera head, the protesters had set afire a compartment of a train after asking the passengers to disembark. They also vandalised railway property at Tapa and Moga in Punjab, besides torching and damaging several buses and other vehicles.