Maharashtra Governor S C Jamir has approved an ordinance making it mandatory for the perpetrators of violence to compensate for the damage caused to public property or even face jail terms.
Jamir signed the draft of the ordinance on Thursday night and it will come into force from Friday, an official said.
The ordinance was mooted by the Home department during the cabinet meeting on Wednesday in view of the
violence unleashed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers in several parts of the state after the
arrest of their leader Raj Thackeray.
The ordinance would make
political parties and social organisation accountable for damage to public property henceforth.
Asked if the ordinance would be implemented with retrospective effect, the official said it is not clear yet. The perpetrators may also face a jail term up to five years, the official said.
Clauses 51, 52 and 53 under the Bombay Police Act 1951 will be amended to make the existing law more comprehensive, he said, adding the ordinance empowers the district collectors to declare the area (of violence) concerned as an insecure zone.
Earlier, this power rested with the state government, but now it would be given to the collector, he said. The collector would evaluate the damage caused to the public property and impose fine, he added.