Assam govt to close around 300,000 petty crime cases for less judicial load

The Assam government has decided to withdraw around three lakh petty crime cases to reduce the load on the judiciary, a minister said.

Addressing a press conference after a Cabinet meeting here on Sunday, Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said lakhs of petty cases are pending across the state.

"We have decided to withdraw around three lakh of the 4.19 lakh petty crime cases, invoking Section 321 of the CrPC. This will reduce the backlog of cases and decongest jails," he said.

The government will soon issue instructions and detailed standard operating procedures to the public prosecutor for filing appropriate petitions on the next dates of the respective cases, a Cabinet communiqu said.

The Cabinet also approved the Assam State Policy for Transfer of Development Rights for streamlining the process of land acquisition for the redevelopment of inner-city zones.

The government also gave its nod to the Assam State Transit Oriented Development Policy to build planned sustainable urb