Kolkata: The West Bengal government will seek to recover three times the value of property damaged in vandalism under a tough new law designed to maintain public order, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Saturday, warning that attacks on industrial units would attract steep financial penalties, PTI reported.
Speaking at a meeting with members of civil society and the business community in Bhawanipur, he said citizens have every right to protest, but that right must not spill over into violence or destruction of industrial establishments.
If the accused does not pay the compensation, recovery will be made even through the auction of their properties, the chief minister said.
The West Bengal Assembly, on June 28, approved two law-and-order bills aimed at strengthening the state’s powers to tackle organised crime and maintain public order.
These included the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, which makes individuals financially liable for damage caused to public and private property during riots, unlawful assemblies and violent protests, and the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, which allows preventive detention for up to 12 months without trial.
“If someone forcefully shuts an industrial unit and vandalises it, one will be jailed and pay a penalty three times the damage. If the damaged property is worth Rs 1 crore, they will have to pay Rs 3 crore,” he said.
The state government has said the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act is intended to safeguard industrial and public assets and boost investor confidence by ensuring accountability for destruction of property.
