Jan Vishwas Bill 2025 introduced in Odisha Assembly to decriminalise minor offences
Odisha Government today introduced the Jan Vishwas Bill 2025 in the Assembly, proposing wide-ranging reforms to decriminalise minor offences in the state.
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government today introduced the Jan Vishwas Bill 2025 in the Assembly, proposing wide-ranging reforms to decriminalise minor offences in the state.
Modelled on the Centre’s Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, the legislation seeks to ease the compliance burden on individuals and businesses by eliminating imprisonment provisions for minor, unintentional violations.
A total of 16 state legislations have been reviewed as part of the exercise. The Bill proposes replacing criminal penalties with civil fines, introducing administrative adjudication for petty contraventions, and rationalising monetary penalties to make them fair and proportionate.
Officials clarified that the reforms will not dilute action against offences that harm public health, the environment, or involve fraud. Besides, the core criminal laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, remain untouched.
The government said the Bill aligns with Odisha’s broader push to improve Ease of Doing Business and create a more facilitative, compliance-friendly governance framework.
