Preparations to implement UCC in Bengal intensified, Cabinet gives green signal to draft bill

Kolkata. The state government has taken a big step towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in West Bengal. The draft bill of West Bengal Uniform Civil Code, 2026 was approved in the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari on Thursday.

Now this draft will be sent to the high level committee constituted under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai for examination and suggestions.

According to government sources, the committee will examine the draft bill and submit its recommendations to the state government within the next four weeks. After receiving the committee’s report, the government will prepare the final bill and it will be presented in the Assembly session to be held in August.

Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari had made an important announcement regarding this proposed law in the Assembly on June 29. He had clarified that Adivasis, Natives, Kurmi and other recognized ancient tribal communities of the state would be kept out of the ambit of the Uniform Civil Code.

The Chief Minister had said that this decision has been taken in line with the model adopted in Uttarakhand and Gujarat, where special relaxation has been provided to tribal communities.

The proposed Uniform Civil Code aims to introduce a uniform legal system for civil matters related to marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption, inheritance and property in place of separate personal laws based on religion in the state.

The government says that this will ensure equal rights and equal legal system for all citizens and will eliminate inequalities arising due to different personal laws.

If this bill is passed by the Assembly and becomes law, West Bengal will become the fourth state in the country to implement Uniform Civil Code. Earlier, Uniform Civil Code has been implemented in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Assam.

Apart from the Uniform Civil Code, many other important decisions were also taken in the cabinet meeting held till Thursday night. The Chief Minister directed all departments to maintain strict control over government expenditure and immediately stop unnecessary expenditure.

He said that ineligible beneficiaries should be immediately identified and removed from various social welfare schemes, so that proper utilization of government resources can be ensured and the financial burden in running the schemes can be reduced.

The Chief Minister also directed all government departments to take effective steps to stop revenue leakage. Emphasis was laid on increasing monitoring of revenue related to tax collection, especially in sectors like stone quarries and sand mining.

The government believes that there was a huge loss of revenue due to widespread corruption in these areas during the previous Trinamool Congress government.

In the meeting, the Cabinet also approved proposals related to border security. Under this, approval was given for permanent transfer of government-owned land in various districts to the Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal.

This land will be used for construction of border outposts, border fencing and other security related projects including construction of roads in the border areas.

Apart from this, with the aim of strengthening the judicial system in the state, the proposal to establish 9 new fast track courts in 9 districts was also approved. The Cabinet also approved the creation of 35 new posts for running these courts.

The state government says the objective of the Uniform Civil Code is to enforce uniform civil law for all citizens, while also ensuring protection of the constitutional rights of Scheduled Tribes and traditional communities and their traditions. There is likely to be extensive discussion on the bill after it is presented in the Assembly in August.