KOLKATA: Eleven British-era legislations which formed a part of the infamous Cornwallis Code enacted in 1793 was finally scrapped in Bengal on Wednesday. Governor CV Ananda Bose gave his assent to The West Bengal Land Laws (Repealing) Bill, 2023, passed by the state assembly.
The regulations - which are 159-year to 230-year old - had lost their relevance in independent India but continued to remain on paper.
The infamous Cornwallis Code, which gave birth to the hereditary zamindari system empowered to collect revenue, was first enacted in Bengal and was later followed in Madras Presidency. "This legislation seeks to correct the exploitative and repressive actions initiated by Cornwallis in 1793, leading to the creation of the zamindari system which proved to be detrimental to the interests of common people.
It also contained vicious provisions - excluding Indians from holding higher ranks of services, thus depriving them of any responsible office in the then government," a statement posted on Governor Bose's twitter handle said.
The statement added: "These draconian legislations which proved to be pernicious to the interest of the Indian people have been nullified by the West Bengal Land Laws (Repealing) Bill, 2023. These Bill may be seen as the assertion of the will of the people over the vestiges of the British Raj."
The oldest among the laws - The Bengal Permanent Settlement Regulation - dates back to 1793. The newest among them - The Bengal Rent Recovery Act - dates back to 1865.
Based on the suggestions from the state law commission and the state legal department, these laws were identified and the state assembly passed a bill to repeal them. With the governor's assent, this will now be relegated to history.
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