Uttarakhand UCC panel launches website, invites people's feedback

The opinion of the people of Uttarakhand has been sought on the proposed Uniform Civil Code to be implemented in the state, and a committee instituted to devise the code on Thursday launched a website (ucc.uk.gov.in) to seek the people’s responses.

“We want everyone’s cooperation to draft the UCC. People of the state must log into our portal and share their suggestions, grievances and complaints with us,” retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, who heads the committee, said.

She said while the committee was fast-tracking things, it is not easy to fix a timeline for drafting the UCC.

“It is not easy to set a timeline in terms of one or two months for it. Talking to all stakeholders and getting their views takes time. We must say we have every intention to bring the draft code as early as possible,” Desai said.

Also read: A brief history of uniform civil code, and why the idea wouldn’t go away

Former Uttarakhand chief secretary Shatrughan Singh, who is a member of the committee, said its mandate is to study the laws related to personal matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, succession, inheritance and alimony and explore whether uniformity in them can be brought about by amending them, creating separate new laws or bringing them under one umbrella.

“We have all the options open in front of us at present. It is too early to say what will be the final form of the draft UCC,” he said.

Singh said the UCC has nothing to do with any religion.

After the launch of the portal (ucc.uk.gov.in), one crore messages were sent to people of the state to encourage them to participate in the consultation process.