Will collect 3x cost for damage to public property: Bengal CM
Times of India | 5 July 2026
Will collect 3x cost for damage to public property: CM
Kolkata: CM Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said the state will crack down on those who damage public property by realising three times the amount to compensate the loss.
Speaking at a felicitation event organised by Alipore Nagarik Samity, Adhikari said the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026 had been brought in to obtain compensation from law-breakers. “If they damage property worth Rs 1 crore, Rs 3 crore would be realised from them,” he said.
The proposed law establishes a statutory claims commission to assess losses and recover costs directly from rioters, protesters, instigators and financiers through the attachment and auction of assets. If the compensation is not paid, the commission can issue certificates to the collector to recover the sum as arrears of land revenue through the attachment and auction of the offender’s property.
“Law and order remains the first and foremost priority for the govt,” Adhikari said.
The CM added that Bengal will soon introduce the Uniform Civil Code and for which an expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai had been formed to examine and draft the legislation.
The UCC seeks to establish a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption for all citizens, replacing religion-specific personal laws.