The Chhattisgarh cabinet, during a बैठक held on Wednesday under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, took key decisions aimed at advancing the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and promoting women’s empowerment. One of the notable measures approved includes a 50% reduction in property registration charges for women, a step intended to encourage greater ownership of assets among them.
As part of the move towards implementing the UCC, the cabinet has sanctioned the creation of a high-level committee. This committee will be chaired by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and will include members nominated by the Chief Minister. Its primary role will be to conduct extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including citizens, civil society organisations, and legal experts. To ensure broad participation and transparency, the committee may also utilise a dedicated web portal to collect suggestions and feedback from the public. Based on these inputs, it will prepare a detailed and comprehensive draft on the proposed Uniform Civil Code.
Once the committee completes its work, it will submit its recommendations to the state cabinet. After receiving approval from the cabinet, the draft will then be presented before the state legislative assembly for further discussion and potential enactment into law.
Currently, personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, and maintenance are governed by different religion-based personal laws, which often result in legal inconsistencies and procedural complexities. The proposed UCC seeks to replace these varied frameworks with a single, uniform set of laws applicable to all citizens, thereby streamlining legal processes, ensuring uniformity in judicial outcomes, and fostering both gender justice and social equality.
This initiative is in line with Article 44 of the Constitution of India, which forms part of the Directive Principles of State Policy and encourages the state to strive towards the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code across the country.
In addition to the UCC-related developments, the cabinet’s decision to halve property registration charges for women has also drawn attention. While the measure is expected to significantly boost property ownership among women in both urban and rural areas, it may have financial implications for the state. Reports suggest that this concession could result in a revenue loss of approximately ₹153 crore for the state exchequer. Despite this potential short-term fiscal impact, the government appears to view the move as a long-term investment, anticipating that it will strengthen women’s economic participation and asset ownership in the future.
