KOLKATA: The Bengal Assembly passed an expense on Tuesday providing for compensation to the aggrieved owner of a property damaged in any act of vandalism by attaching and auctioning off properties belonging to the accused.

The West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, is similar to laws in force in BJP-governed Uttar Pradesh, MP, Haryana and Karnataka.

In Chhattisgarh, the provision is limited to compensation for damage caused to medical facilities throughout public unrest.By definition, the aggrieved individual can be a person or even the state.

Anybody looking for compensation requires to move the designated court within 60 days of the damage being caused.

This will be followed by an ad-interim accessory order legitimate for 180 days.

The property (of the accused) will be connected after a hearing involving both sides.

There wont be any violation of natural justice, state financing minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said.The Bill dealt with resistance from the opposition BJP, which declared that the state was trying to gag political movements.

We feel this is a regressive action and will serve to curb democratic political agitation, stated BJP primary whip Manoj Tigga.