PANAJI: The Goa Cabinet has approved a proposal to decriminalise around 28 minor offences, removing imprisonment provisions and imposing only fines for violations.
Speaking at a press briefing after the cabinet meeting today, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that the government had identified places where approximately 28 acts previously carried imprisonment or fines, adding that the move aligns with the Central Government’s Jan Vishwas reforms. "Following the Central Government’s approach, the Government of Goa has replaced imprisonment with penalties, making minor adjustments in some cases,” the CM said.
The initiative falls under the Goa Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, which seeks to simplify compliance for businesses and citizens by decriminalising minor offences and enhancing ease of living. The Bill mirrors reforms introduced by the Union Government, which first decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 central Acts under the 2023 Jan Vishwas Act.
The 2025 Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha in August, proposes amendments to 355 provisions across multiple central Acts, including 288 to promote ease of doing business and 67 to improve ease of living. Key measures include replacing imprisonment with monetary penalties or warnings, proportionate and graduated fines for repeated violations, and empowering designated officers to impose penalties administratively to reduce judicial burden. Automatic 10 per cent increases every three years will maintain deterrence without needing further legislative amendments.
Under the Bill, further decriminalisation is proposed for four Acts already partially covered in 2023: the Tea Act, 1953; Legal Metrology Act, 2009; Motor Vehicles Act, 1988; and Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
