Gujarat Assembly passes Bill to repeal Public Trust Act (Amendment)

Gandhinagar, 27 February 2012

Gujarat Assembly today passed a Bill to repeal an Act that sought to regulate the functioning of public charitable trusts in the state.

The Gujarat Public Trusts (Repeal) Bill, 2012 was passed unopposed. It repealed the Gujarat Public Trust Act (Amendment), 2011 cleared by the Assembly in last March.

The repeal Bill was introduced in the Assembly by Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Dilip Sanghani.

The Act was likely to affect the functioning of public trusts involved in charitable work in the state.

The amendment in Gujarat Public Trust Act, 2011, aimed at removing existing provisions for sale of trusts, lifetime trusteeship and inheritance of trusteeship by family members. It cleared by Governor Kamla in June 2011. Public, charitable and religious trusts had raised a hue and cry, saying the Act will facilitate Government control over their functioning.

Due to opposition from religious and charitable trusts, the Government had withheld its implementation and formed a Cabinet sub-committee under Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala to recommend suggestions. After hearing public, trusts and others the panel recommended abolition of the amendment to the Act, which was approved by the Cabinet early this month.