U'khand guv gives nod to Bill making protesters pay for property damage

Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh has given his assent to a legislation that would enable full recovery of damages caused to public property during riots or protests as well as the imposition of a fine of up to Rs 8 lakh on rioters. The Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Damage Recovery Bill was passed by the state assembly last month and sent to the governor for his nod, which was received on Thursday. Welcoming the governor's assent, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the law's strict provisions would serve as a strong deterrent for potential offenders who damaged public property during strikes, protest demonstrations or riots. "The recovery of every paisa of a damaged public property will now be made from the person responsible for it," Dhami said. The purpose of the law is to stop people from damaging public property during riots, he added. Apart from full recovery of damage caused to private and government property from rioters, a fine of up to Rs 8 la