Express News Service
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday ordered the authorities, mainly the police, not to book entrepreneurs and traders without a preliminary investigation. The order is an attempt to assuage fears among the business community about getting embroiled in legal proceedings. It, however, will not be applicable in cases of cognizable offences.
The order is aimed at safeguarding entrepreneurs and traders from frivolous FIRs, which frequently result in harassment and undue pressure on them, according to a senior government official.
“Now, the FIR cannot be lodged directly by any person against traders and entrepreneurs,” the official told this newspaper on Saturday. Another objective is to ensure the ease of doing business, according to the state government spokesperson.
“The government’s circular complies with the directives given by the Supreme Court in 2008 in the Lalita Kumari-vs-UP state case,” he added. The SC had fixed a formal procedure of preliminary investigation before filing an FIR in civil matters, related to business rivalry or a sudden incident at an institution/ concern. Even in the case of business rivalry and competition, cases are lodged frequently, “which will not be the case now.”
“The government is committed to preventing any form of harassment of entrepreneurs, traders, owners of educational institutions, hospitals, construction companies, hotels, and others, as well as their managerial-level employees,” said a release issued by the CM on Saturday.
UP Director General of Police Vijaya Kumar has already issued instructions to all district police chiefs and police commissioners cautioning them against routinely booking owners of shops, hotels, construction companies or educational institutes without adequate evidence of their involvement in a crime.
“The police must carry out a thorough investigation whether an FIR was being lodged just to harass a businessman or put undue pressure on him,” said the DGP, adding, “An FIR must be registered after proper investigation.”
It is worth noting that the Yogi government has reiterated time and again its commitment to ensure hassle-free execution of development projects in order to give a push to seamless ease of doing business.
The Yogi government has been taking numerous steps to promote investment, enterprise and business in Uttar Pradesh. The state government has brought 25 new policies in sectors having the potential for investment so that the investors could have smooth sailing. As a result, industrialists from all over the world have proposed an investment of Rs 36 lakh crores in Uttar Pradesh.
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday ordered the authorities, mainly the police, not to book entrepreneurs and traders without a preliminary investigation. The order is an attempt to assuage fears among the business community about getting embroiled in legal proceedings. It, however, will not be applicable in cases of cognizable offences.
The order is aimed at safeguarding entrepreneurs and traders from frivolous FIRs, which frequently result in harassment and undue pressure on them, according to a senior government official.
“Now, the FIR cannot be lodged directly by any person against traders and entrepreneurs,” the official told this newspaper on Saturday. Another objective is to ensure the ease of doing business, according to the state government spokesperson.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“The government’s circular complies with the directives given by the Supreme Court in 2008 in the Lalita Kumari-vs-UP state case,” he added. The SC had fixed a formal procedure of preliminary investigation before filing an FIR in civil matters, related to business rivalry or a sudden incident at an institution/ concern. Even in the case of business rivalry and competition, cases are lodged frequently, “which will not be the case now.”
“The government is committed to preventing any form of harassment of entrepreneurs, traders, owners of educational institutions, hospitals, construction companies, hotels, and others, as well as their managerial-level employees,” said a release issued by the CM on Saturday.
UP Director General of Police Vijaya Kumar has already issued instructions to all district police chiefs and police commissioners cautioning them against routinely booking owners of shops, hotels, construction companies or educational institutes without adequate evidence of their involvement in a crime.
“The police must carry out a thorough investigation whether an FIR was being lodged just to harass a businessman or put undue pressure on him,” said the DGP, adding, “An FIR must be registered after proper investigation.”
It is worth noting that the Yogi government has reiterated time and again its commitment to ensure hassle-free execution of development projects in order to give a push to seamless ease of doing business.
The Yogi government has been taking numerous steps to promote investment, enterprise and business in Uttar Pradesh. The state government has brought 25 new policies in sectors having the potential for investment so that the investors could have smooth sailing. As a result, industrialists from all over the world have proposed an investment of Rs 36 lakh crores in Uttar Pradesh.
